MT’s walk from here will have a swagger. Not because we have gained something
…but because we have lost something! Contradiction maybe, but conflicting,
definitely not! You may remember the childhood bedtime stories—each ending with
how facing our biggest fear and daring to walk into our most dreaded nightmares
with eyes open makes us stronger. It is all about triumphing our biggest inner fear!

Yes, we have lost our fear (time for brand MMT to stand tall without clutches) and we have gained
independence. From here onwards, our pursuit to bring the perennial problems gripping the
industry gets pronounced. The mishandling and meeking of the collective voice of the machine
tools industry, which was not strongly represented, stands corrected. MMT is your sharp voice,
presenting your views to people who matter.
Matters that Matter incidentally is our cover shout, where we delve into details about the
aspects that will make our machine tools industry stronger and our growth inclusive.
Like Shailesh Sheth’s Open Letter to the Finance Minster as the FM drafts the budget, is a
strong voice to policymakers at the time when it matters the most! Sheth has made some
very constructive recommendations to the FM for our industry. Do read this blueprint for the
machine tools sector and share your views with us. There is also a robust plan that we have
charted along with Sheth, our Saarathi, to make sure that the views and voice gets viral and
impacts our industry positively.
As part of MMTfying your world, this very special January edition is a refreshing
offering to the community that deals with metal to test their mettle … and it is also
a chance to prove your edge—the edge of knowledge, of knowing your industry
and your peers! It is about time we bring out the fun and challenge-loving side
of this tribe to the fore. MMT has, in fact, taken both these perceived notions
to revel in the fun and sporty sides of the metalworking community … albeit
staying mostly metal! Do solve the crossword specially created and crafted
for you and earn your colours!
If you think you know your industry, take the challenge and extend it to
your peers as well! Like the seers say, the answers to our life’s questions
are hidden in our life itself; this is true for these crosswords as well!
The January edition of MMT is all about Matters That Matter … such
as Cutting-Edge Technologies, how they would shape up our future,
experts predicting how these technologies would shape up the future
of our sector and, thus, our fortunes as well. Then, we have Women
Leaders sharing their ambitions and inclusions in this man’s world and
their unique contributions to the machine tools world. We also have
New Age Entrepreneurs and show how their unique business models and
their fresh approach is favourably impacting this sector and changing the
industry dynamics. We also have some EXIM plans for the Indian companies
to establish their Global Footprints in Top Countries!
And yes, as Ludhiana flaunts its machine tools prowess, Punjab’s Machine
Tools prospects came alive with Engineering Expo Ludhiana & PUMTOS.
A special report on the titan trade show for machine tools in the making!
So, calling all comrades of the machine tools industry to gear up for action
… It’s time to Define your machining edge, Defy the misleading perceptions
& Demand performance—individual & collective!

MMT Mentor
Shailesh Sheth
Corporate Strategy Advisor

Archana Tiwari-Nayudu
archana.nayudu@network18publishing.com

July 2012 - MODERN MACHINE TOOLS

23

An Open Letter to Hon’ble Finance Minister of India
Shri P Chidambaram
Hon’ble Minister of Finance
Government of India

SUBJECT: INDIA’S MACHINE TOOLS INDUSTRY
Dear Sir:
I am glad to be writing to you and it would be a privilege if you were to read this, preferably before you decide on
the 2013–14 budget. The machine tools sector in India is a baby as compared to other industries. It ought to be of
interest to know why the Indian government should pay any attention at all to an industry whose total consumption
is `10,000 crore, production is just `3,000 crore, with employment of only 50,000 people and a measly contribution
of `700 crore to the National Exchequer?

There is an innate need to support the machine tools industry. Why?
1. Machine tools have the highest capital output ratio. For every rupee of machine tools consumed, the chain
effect in production is a multiple of at least 100. Hence, it is known as the ‘Mother Industry’.
2. India needs to produce more machine tools in the country itself instead of importing them. What happened
after Pokhran I and II? The Canadian government cut off exchange of nuclear materials and technology, the
American government cut off all assistance. Japan imposed economic sanctions and Germany imposed severe
export licensing rules on the sale of hi-tech machinery. Economic growth was affected and many of our
strategic projects (DRDO, ISRO) suffered. Shall we again be at the mercy of other countries for our growth
and strategic interests?
3. India has the opportunity to become a manufacturing hub by 2020. The share of manufacturing in our GDP
has to grow to 25%.This will require, by industry estimates, an investment of `50,000 crore per year in machine
tools alone over the next 10 years. This lays emphasis on domestic machine tools production.
4. Manufacturing thrives where there is a vibrant local machine tools production. Countries like US, Germany,
China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, which are strong in the machine tools sector, are also strong in the
manufacturing sector.
5. Currently, the Indian machine tools industry has a market share of 30%. It is an absolute MUST to increase
this share to 60%. The industry as well as India’s strategic interests need an assurance that advanced technology
will be available in the future from domestic sources.

Setting up machine tools parks in the machine tools hubs of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Saurashtra and Punjab
Incentivising investments in new technology machines (of the Mechatronics era)
Creating common facility centres
Support ongoing Quality & Productivity Improvement and Technology Development Programmes
Create a Machine Tools Technology Development Fund to encourage R&D
Introduce a compulsory course on machine tools in all technical institutes and colleges
Modernise all workshops in engineering colleges and ITIs
Government-owned undertakings and PSUs to treat Indian and foreign manufacturers at par with the
contractual terms, with special consideration for Indian MSMEs

I hope that the Finance Ministry, under your able leadership, can draw up a Mission Report on this strategically
important industry and take suitable steps.
Jai Hind!
Sincerely,

Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Network18 Media & Investment Ltd (Network18)*, its publisher and/or editors. We at Network18 do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the
information. Network18 Ltd does not accept the responsibility for any investment or other decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. Network18 does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without due postal stamps for return postage. No
part of this magazine can be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. Network18 reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever.
Printed by Mohan Gajria and published by Lakshmi Narasimhan on behalf of Network18.
Executive Editor: Archana Tiwari-Nayudu
Printed at Infomedia 18 Ltd, Plot no.3, Sector 7, off Sion-Panvel Road, Nerul, Navi Mumbai 400 706, and published at Network18, ‘A’ Wing, Ruby House, J K Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai
- 400 028.
MODERN MACHINE TOOLS is registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India under No. MAHENG / 2008 / 24347. Network18 does not take any responsibility for loss or damage incurred or
suffered by any subscriber of this magazine as a result of his/her accepting any invitation/offer published in this edition.
*Ownership of this magazine stands transferred from Infomedia18 Ltd (Infomedia18) to Network18 Media & Investments Ltd (Network18) in pursuance of the scheme of arrangement between Network18 and Infomedia18 and their
respective shareholders and creditors, as approved by the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi and the necessary approval of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is being obtained.

hat is technology all about—impact, feasibility & adaptability! Steve Jobs,
the famous entrepreneur and founder of the world’s biggest company
Apple Inc, had said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader
and a follower.” In order to be successful in your business, you need to
learn to be innovative and adopt innovation. Most of the industries
are looking at advancing their technologies for higher growth; as a result, there has been
a constant demand for latest technologies. The machine tools industry is no exception! As
per the growing demand from customers, machine tools companies are coming up with
various innovative products to satiate customer demand. Nowadays, customers have
more options than ever before for a single machining process. These technologies have
changed the way products are being manufactured, thus reducing human interference with
an increment in speed and reduced cycle time.
In terms of India, these technologies are still at a nascent stage. The industry
still needs to get its know-how of the latest technologies in place. Although India is
not really lagging behind technologically, the adoption rate of new technologies needs
to increase. The presence of global giants and some Indian conglomerates have
mandated the use for high-end machining solutions, but many MSMEs are still lagging
behind in adopting these new technologies—technologies that matter in today’s
world, technologies that enhance the overall productivity, technologies
that boost the speed of operation and technologies that can lead India to
develop the machine tools market! Indian companies have also become
technically advanced in the recent years and are looking for new solutions for their
shop floors. The industry is now switching from 2D design solutions to 3D design solutions by
using CMM over conventional measurement techniques and adopting proper cutting fluids in their
machine processes.
In this section, we will be looking at 10 such cutting-edge technologies that will change
the dynamics of the Indian machine tools industry. The section will talk about the
solutions right from Software, Cutting Fluids, Machine Tools to Special Purpose Machines;
technologies like Additive Manufacturing, EDM, 3D Design Software, Latest Control Systems,
CMM Probes, Ceramic Cutting Tools, Plasma Cutting Systems, Industrial Robots, Tooling
Solutions and Vegetable-based Coolants. These machine tools solutions have been proved to be
prolific worldwide.
Nishant Kashyap discusses 10 cutting-edge technologies that will define the
scope of the metalworking industry in India. A confluence of these Gen-next technologies will
redefine the Indian manufacturing industry. The section will further highlight each technology’s
qualities, advantages, Indian perspective, adoption and feasibility.

January 2013 - MMT

33

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
3D Design Technique

Visualising
the

Future of
Manufacturing
Geometric Ltd

The three-dimensional technique will be
the future of technology—be it movie effects or
designing any part/component! For business,
3D solid modelling means faster time-to-market
and higher quality products, which translate into
increased revenue.

T

he domestic and global
requirements of 3D design
solutions
provide
an
excellent opportunity to
the industry for growth.
Moreover, automotive, telecom and
consumer electronics are expected to
remain the highest revenue-generating
verticals with aerospace and energy as
the emerging sectors till 2020.

Migration from 2D to 3D
Three-dimensional design technology
helps improve the design process,
which, in turn, benefits business.
Manufacturers find that migrating from
2D to 3D tools makes design work
more efficient and accurate, producing
better overall design quality and fewer
(expensive) errors. Exploration of new
design ideas becomes easier as engineers
do not have to spend time making new
2D drawings. The use of 3D tools can
help communicate concepts to a diverse
audience, without sacrificing tried-andtrue modes of communication with
suppliers and partners.
Three-dimensional
modelling
software handles a number of
tough drawing exercises to help
users understand their designs and
34

MMT - January 2013

make better decisions in the product
development process.

Latest in 3D
In the current competitive world, it is
difficult to match the rate at which the
market is growing without implementing
new technologies. For tool engineering,
3D design technology is essential to
keep pace with changing technology.
This has prompted demand for low cost,
better quality, better precision and faster
delivery products. Many technologies
provide flexibility to engineers looking
for latest software systems for cuttingedge tools. With the latest 3D design
solutions, manufacturing operations
can add new features including better
simulation capabilities and support for
complex machining on multi-tasking
machine tools. “3D is one of the most
important technologies in today’s
scenario. Therefore, if you are able to
conceptualise things in 3D, you are
able to design in 3D. It helps in faster
designing,” explains Manoj Mehta,
Country Manager, SolidWork (India
and SAARC).

has helped companies in analysing
the product quality, managing data
and understanding the behaviour of
end products, which eventually helps
save money and time. However, the
technology is in its nascent stage in
India and companies are still working
with 2D design.
The CAD/CAM segment has
witnessed a surge in the recent past,
owing to the increased importance of
design, especially in the manufacturing &
architecture, engineering and construction
verticals. Lately, Indian manufacturers
have also realised the importance of
automation in the system. As 3D design
has become one of the most important
design techniques in the current scenario,
Indian manufacturers have also shown
their interest and adopted the technology
in their shop floor. According to Mehta,
“Indian manufacturers need to adopt the
best of technology to maintain global
quality standards and stay ahead of the
competition curve. Since the design
created on 3D design platforms makes it
easier for manufacturers to visualise the
real product, it helps in bringing down
instances of errors.”

India’s Position
The recent development in 3D design

nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
Additive Manufacturing

A Rapid Shift
Towards
Prototyping
The arrival of Additive Manufacturing
(AM) technologies presents a number
of opportunities with the potential to
greatly benefit designers and contribute to the
sustainability of products. It has been considered
as the ‘Future of Manufacturing’. Additive Manufacturing
tops the list of technologies to watch out for.

A

ny doubts about Additive
Manufacturing (AM) being
the future of manufacturing
will fade in the light of its
achievements. NASA is committed to
bringing a 3D printer onto the space
station by 2014. Boeing has made over
20,000 parts using 3D printers that
have been used in military aircraft, and
there has not been a single part failure,
so far. AM is not just a technology,
it is also a fundamental shift from the
way designing and manufacturing have
usually been done till date.

Understanding the Challenges
It is important for any manufacturer
or designer to understand exactly what
AM technologies can and cannot
do. Although many of the processes,
materials and techniques are in the early
stages of development, research is being
carried out to overcome the limitations.
“Most
AM
systems
were
designed for prototyping, and not for
manufacturing. Therefore, problems
occur with consistency from system to
system and among different parts made
by the systems. Material cost is also
high and an obstacle to its adoption.
AM materials cost about 50–100 times
35

Evaluating AM Technologies
When adopting such a technology,
certain factors must be considered in
evaluating the various technologies
available for a certain type of product.
The AM industry is set to cross US$3
billion in overall sales by 2016 and
US$5 billion by 2020, so the time to
think and act is here. There needs to be
an understanding of how to best balance
the advantages and disadvantages of
an additive technology to harness its
manufacturing potential.
Rapid prototyping helps identify
errors in the physical functioning or
ergonomics of the components and
products. This, in turn, saves the time
taken to redesign and reiterate the
entire production cycle.

Adoption Rate & Growth
Prospects in India
AM is an excellent tool for design
validation and product refinement.
Therefore, it serves as a good companion

to CAD software. Also, AM is being
increasingly used for jewellery design &
production and prototyping of automobile
parts. According to Dr Phil Reeves,
MD, Econolyst Ltd, “AM is being used
to support product development (rapid
prototyping). A number of global AM
machine companies, including Objet,
EOS, Stratasys and EnvisionTEC, are
selling their technologies in India. Of
course, it is now possible to make parts
directly in gold, so perhaps we will see
such technologies established in India.”
The adoption of large, expensive AM
systems has been slow in India. However,
as systems become faster & easier to
use and as the price/performance ratio
improves, sales are expected to become
strong in India in the coming years.
AM is being considered as the future
of manufacturing for its reliability,
sustainability and cost effectiveness.
Manufacturers are fully aware of the
potential that the technology holds. AM
may not be a complete replacement to
conventional methods, but it will certainly
enhance the manufacturing technology to
take it to the next level of speed, precision
and quality.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

January 2013 - MMT

35

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
Ceramic Cutting Tools

Tools for

Productivity
and

Efﬁciency
There is a positive vibe about ceramics
in this early 21st century. With their growing
reputation in manufacturing hardened
materials, like Hastelloy and Inconel, aerospace
components, and medical devices made of
materials like titanium, ceramic tools are the next
upgrade in productivity and efficiency.

T

he global market for ceramic
cutting tools stood at over
US$1 billion in 2011,
this after being hit by the
economic decline in 2009
where the market shrunk by 30%. Today,
of the entire market for metal cutting
tools, ceramic accounts for over 8.5%.
The demand for these special tools is
driven primarily by manufacturing in
the automotive, aerospace and medical
sectors where the need for highly specific
tooling, with enhanced performance at
high speeds and temperatures, is more
prevalent.

degree. Ceramics that contain reinforcing
whiskers of silicon carbide have high
resistance and toughness, particularly
where thermal shock is involved, as well
as increased tensile strength. They can
also be run without coolants, which is
why they have found heavy use in dry
machining where machining rates have
increased by as much as 800%. Of all
the various applications of ceramic
inserts, milling is the most common and
accounts for about 61% of the market,
while turning and drilling account for
about 37% and 2.2%, respectively.

Advantages Of Ceramics
Ceramic Applications
For most manufacturers in developing
countries, ceramic tools are too expensive
to be implemented on a wide scale;
yet, its use has slowly been growing.
Ceramic tooling is used for high-speed,
single-point turning, boring and facing
operations with continuous cutting as
well as for finishing operations for ferrous
or non-ferrous materials. It is also used
for precision machine castings and to
make light finishing cuts for steel and
cast iron. Ceramics are highly suitable
for any operation in which size and part
finish need to be controlled to a greater
36

MMT - January 2013

Ceramic materials have been used in
metal cutting for over a century, with
the first cutting tool inserts hitting the
market in 1956. Tools made of such
material have grown in popularity and
demand as the need for specialised tooling
has increased. Properties like hardness,
toughness and thermal conductivity result
in the material’s greater ability to function
under very high temperatures (4,000°F)
as compared to carbide tools (1,600°F).
Abhinav Sood, Sales Leader, Hypertherm
India, says, “Ceramic cutting tools are
constructed mainly from alumina (Al2O3)
and silicon nitride (SiN), and have been

used to cut materials for over 100 years.
These tools are generally tough and
can withstand high temperatures of up
to 2,204°C. This results in deeper and
cleaner cuts because the high heat softens
the workpiece material.”

Future Factors
The need for specialised machining
processes and niche products has been
rising across global markets. Ceramic
tools have a huge advantage when the
requirements are for specific tools
with highly specific properties. The
use of carbide whiskers will be further
optimised in CMCs, while fine-tuned
powder processing will result in finer
cutting edges, thus leading to near-net
finishing. The demand for ceramic tools
is broadly driven by the environment that
end users function in, the competition
from other super-hard tool types like
PcBN and PCD and the preferences of
manufacturers of niche products. The
overall market for ceramic tools is poised
to hit US$1.5 billion by 2016. However,
given the current growth in aerospace and
automotive sectors, this number might
well be exceeded.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
CMM Probes

Building

Quality

Measurement
Systems
The field of industrial metrology has
undergone a major transformation from
playing a limited role of testing and certification to
that of quality control in product and process life
cycles. Currently, many new innovations have been
introduced by CMM solution providers to keep up with
the growing demand.

T

he manufacturing industry
is currently overbooked with
orders from domestic as
well as export markets. The
demand for high precision
& accuracy, greater repeatability and
easy-to-operate & quick measurement
machines has resulted in the launch of
new metrology systems that are smart
and compact.

Latest Trends
Flexibility and accuracy, reduction of
errors and increased repeatability have
been the core focus areas of metrology
system manufacturers for better customer
satisfaction. These features help them
add quality and trust factors in their
products. 3D CMMs are mainly installed
and utilised at fixed locations for highaccuracy measurement. The newly
launched portable CMMs are equipped
with articulated multiple axis arms,
which can be taken to the component
for inspection. This saves the effort of
taking big and heavy parts to the CMM
for measurement.
In addition, shrinking sizes of
metrology devices and high-speed
measurement systems are gradually
becoming the future trends that may
37

change the technology landscape of
the industry. CMMs with 5-axis probe
heads offer unique ‘head touches’ for
rapid continuous scanning & touchtrigger measurement. Fast infinite 5-axis
positioning optimises the working volume
of the CMM and minimises CMM
motion, thereby reducing dynamic CMM
errors. Further, rapid ‘head touches’ mean
that the measurement points are taken
more quickly using only the rotary motion
of the head. The result is improved
accuracy, repeatability and significantly
improved inspection throughput, with
parts measured up to three times faster
than the current touch-trigger systems.
The freedom of manoeuvrability and
state-of-the-art sensor technology in
the probe head have ushered the era of
measuring surfaces up to micron scale in
the shortest time possible.

Lasers Probes
Test and measuring instruments are
utilised to convert workpiece dimensions
and other geometric values to coordinate
values. These are sophisticated calibration
instruments that can measure any threedimensional surface with high accuracy.
Once converted to coordinate values,
the measurement data is fed back to the

machine tools. The latest technology that
has set new benchmarks of performance is
the usage of laser probes. Powered by the
capability to capture thousands of points
in a second, these probes significantly
reduce the inspection time.
New technological advancements
have helped CMM manufacturers to
improve accuracy. The new non-contact
line laser probe can be used for highspeed scanning of parts. The point cloud
generated can be used for inspection and
reverse engineering.

India’s Take
Most companies, today, realise the need
to be at par with the global quality
quotient. Over the years, the Indian
shop floors have seen a subsequent
increase in the incorporation of the
latest quality inspection methods in the
system. Also, to meet the anticipated
industry needs, test and measurement
equipment manufacturers are looking
for ways to optimise the functionality
of metrology equipments. This provides
optimal accuracy, with reduced inspection
time, and brings down the overall cost of
equipment and production.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

January 2013 - MMT

37

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
Control Systems

Transforming

the
Industry
Control systems have become a
key ingredient of this ever-growing
manufacturing industry. Manufacturers
are maintaining the innovation pace to match
the demand. Over the years, the manufacturing
system has evolved to incorporate new technologies
such as wireless connectivity and remote monitoring &
diagnosis, which will improve speed, precision and quality.

T

he capability of process
monitoring and remote
diagnosis by the user is
fast becoming the norm
in the industry. Machine
builders are increasingly incorporating
these abilities into the machines due
to growing demand from users. Major
players now employ these technologies
for machine maintenance and foresee
crucial issues before any major
breakdown takes place.

Wireless Connectivity
Today, with the availability of next
generation technologies, CNC machines
are rapidly incorporating wireless
capabilities. The latest trends in this
area focus more on harnessing the recent
developments in IT systems. CNC
machines are increasingly becoming
wireless, i.e., machines can be accessed
by using the Wi-Fi feature. Most
direct numerical control or Distributed
Numerical Control (DNC) & CNC
machines are now wireless.

Remote Monitoring and
Diagnosis
Currently, the shop floor is attaining
more visibility, and sitting at a remote
38

MMT - January 2013

site, managers can monitor the work as
well as the machines, making it easier to
manage resources. Using a mobile phone,
one can determine the health, productivity
and status of a machine. Nowadays, there
are technologies that can be programmed
to switch the power off after the work is
completed. The entire machine backup
as well as the health of the machine is
remotely monitored by a server, which
can be accessed by the machine builder.
The team can also carry out appropriate
activities to address the issues, much
before the actual breakdown takes place.
Somnath Majumdar, Customer
Segment Manager – Energy &
Aerospace, Walter Tools India Pvt Ltd,
says, “We are in an era of globalisation
and to be able to compete with global
players, we need to be at par with the
latest trends. CNC machining itself has
come a long way over the last 10–15
years. Technological improvements or
trends should be applied to upgrade the
manufacturing ecosystem of India to
global standards. We lag behind other
markets to a certain extent as India still
relies on outsourced components.”

offers an added advantage to the industry.
This has led to improved productivity,
easy working and quicker processes.
Realising the benefits, even Small
& Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are
increasingly adopting CNC machines.
According to Sambit Pradhan,
Manager – Business Development,
Geometric Ltd, “India has already
adopted wireless technology in DNC,
which you can see in the large and
mid cap manufacturing companies,
but SMEs are yet to experience it.
Wireless connectivity in control systems
is an appropriate technology for large
manufacturing shops. In order to increase
production, industries need high-end
control systems.”
Indian companies are aware of the
latest technologies and the potential they
hold. Adoption of remote controllability
and monitoring is yet to capture the
Indian market, but many are aware that
adopting it will enhance the manufacturing
technology in terms of speed, precision
and quality. Currently, the technology is
in its nascent stage in India, but industry
experts believe that it will surely find its
space in the Indian market.

Adoption in India
The implementation of CNC machines

nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
Cutting Tool Geometry

Sharpening

the Future
Prospects
We see an increased use of CBN
inserts in cast iron boring applications, as
these inserts offer better accuracies and
tolerances. Customisation of tools is increasing,
and this area will provide a good possibility for
growth. Here’s taking a look at the latest developments
in inserts and geometries and their growth in India.

I

n today’s changing times,
tooling solutions should reflect
high productivity and increased
profits, which can be achieved
by using high-speed cutting
tools. These advancements will help
reduce the cycle time for machining by
enabling faster production.

Latest in Tooling
Technological development in
machining technology is an ongoing
process. In the tooling industry, there
are many innovations taking place in
material (carbide), tool geometries and
surface coating. The emerging trend
in the industry is mainly high-speed
machining. One way of providing
these solutions can be by considering
the maximum material removal in both
drilling and milling applications.
Besides, looking at the latest trends,
the development of carbide grades for
machining aerospace material and
carbide inserts with closer tolerances
is now gaining importance. With the
increase in the use of difficult-to-cut
materials such as titanium, neumonic
alloys, etc., the development of new
grades and chip breaker geometries has
become paramount.
40

MMT - January 2013

Innovation in Place
One of the areas where innovations
have been taking place is the materials
area. Besides conventional cutting
tools, materials like high-carbon steel
and HSS, solid carbide, Polycrystalline
Diamond (PCD), Cubic Boron
Nitride (CBN), ceramic and cermets
are used. Carbide inserts offer a costeffective solution and are widely used
in general-purpose machining.
CBN has been used for highspeed machining of cast iron or for
machining hard parts (beyond 50
HRC). The more recent development
is in the manufacture of multi-cornered
CBN, solid CBN and coated CBN.
Coating technology is also undergoing
rapid changes along with new coating
material. According to Yoshito Uehara
San, President & Chief Executive
Officer, Tungaloy Corporation, “The
changes in the cutting tools industry
are mainly due to the advancements
in cutting tools materials. Carbide
and cermets formerly used have been
replaced with advanced tools materials
like CBN, PCD and ceramics. This
has enabled a significant increase
in cutting speeds, which, in turn,
reduces the cycle time for machining.

Consequently, this has brought down
the overall machining costs.”

Adoption in India
One of the major changes that we
have observed is that customers are
now investing in modern technology
as there is a requirement for high
productivity tools. More applications
for advanced materials like CBN, PCD
and ceramics are emerging as customers
are looking at faster machining of
components. We are sure that this
trend will continue. Companies in the
cutting tools industries are developing
new tools to provide better solutions
for productivity enhancement.
“India has immense potential
to be one of the major players
in the global market for the
machine tools segment. The country
accounts for more than 60% of
the total import of machine tools,” says
Uehara San. Today, customers need
customised solutions for their specific
component requirements. This trend
will continue, and in the years to come,
the need for customised solutions
will increase.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
Electrical Discharge Machining

Minimising
Complexity,

Maximising
Productivity
Ever since the Electrical Discharge
Machining (EDM) process was invented by
two Russian scientists, Dr BR Lazarenko
and Dr NI Lazarenko, in 1943, this technology
has been widely accepted by the metalworking
industry. When it comes to machining ‘hard to machine’
materials, producing complex shapes, reducing cost and
increasing efficiency, EDM has become a necessity.

E

DM is a high-precision metal
removal process, which uses
thermal energy to erode the
work material by means of
controlled sparking. This
process is primarily used in the tool and
die making industry. However, due to
EDM’s capability to machine ‘difficult to
cut’ materials with ease, it is also used to
manufacture intricate shaped dies.

Advantages
The process produces ‘difficult to
generate’ shapes like D holes, splines,
narrow slots and groves and finds its
usefulness in automotive, aerospace,
medical instruments manufacturing
industries, etc. According to Ramesh
Kumar Singh, Assistant Professor –
Mechanical Engineering Department,
IIT Bombay, “EDM requires less post
processing operations like grinding and
polishing. In this process, tool wear is less
as compared to conventional methods.
So, tooling cost can be minimised.”
The EDM process can machine any
hardness material with ease. It gives very
high dimensional accuracy (+1 μm) and
surface finish (0.2 μm ‘Ra’) and requires
very low cost tooling like tools, fixtures
and clamps.
42

MMT - January 2013

Wire EDM
Also known as spark EDM, wire
EDM machining is an electrothermal production process in which a
thin single-strand metal wire in
conjunction with deionised water
allows the wire to cut through metal
by the use of heat from electrical
sparks. Due to the inherent properties
of the process, wire EDM can easily
machine
complex
parts
and
precision components out of hard
conductive materials. It works by
creating an electrical discharge
between the wire or electrode and the
workpiece. As the spark jumps across
the gap, material is removed from both
the workpiece and the electrode.

Feasibility
Talking about its feasibility for the
Indian market with the viewpoint
of energy consumption, Singh says,
“Energy consumption in the EDM
process is similar to other conventional
manufacturing processes. The electrical
energy consumption is slightly higher
than the other process, but this can be
compensated by less tooling requirement,
lower finishing operations and
requirement for less manpower.”

Advantages

Can machine any hard material
Has high dimensional accuracy
Requires very low cost tooling like
tools, fixtures and clamps
Can produce sharp internal corners
and holes in single pass

EDM Acceptability
EDM has now become one of the
most accepted technologies in the
manufacturing industry since many
complex 3D shapes can be machined
using a simple shaped tool electrode.
EDM is an important ‘non-traditional
manufacturing method’, and has been
accepted worldwide as a standard process
of manufacturing forming tools.
As the Indian economy accelerates,
many global players have set up
manufacturing facilities in the country.
The reflection of this can also be seen
in EDM.
EDM is a widely used method of
precision and complex part machining.
Driven by domestic demand and India’s
cost-efficiency advantage, the business
outlook for EDM in the country is
expected to rise significantly.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
Industrial Robot

Increasing
Automation of

Operations
As the global spotlight focuses on India,
it is time now for the Indian manufacturing
sector to prove its mettle and match up
to global requirements of quality, precision,
volume and speed of delivery. Industrial robots
have proved to be a technology that increases the
productivity, efficiency and reduce the output
time significantly.

O

perations like welding,
palletising, handling,
painting, etc., are some
of the areas where
robots can be more
effective as the human interference
is reduced. While manual operation
does not assure consistency in quality,
robotic applications provide the
assurance. Also, the complexity in the
manufacturing process today has made
human interference difficult, thus
increasing the dependence on robots.

back part position and orientation to
the robot.
Vision integration is an important
criterion as the industry needs to increase
the flexibility in automation. There are
new developments happening in the area
of 3D vision such as the high-definition
vision system. Certainly, improvements
in the vision systems will lead to
incorporation of automation solutions in
varied applications enhancing the profile
of automation.

Future Outlook
Emerging Developments
The developments in the area of robotic
applications are increasing leaps and
bounds. Innumerable researches are
being carried out in the field of robotic
vision for improving precision in the
detection process.
While conventional robots are
sightless, part handling demands
precision fixturing to assure successful,
repetitive presentation of parts to the
robotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grippers. With vision, robots
can routinely adjust to variations in
part placement. Robotic vision is being
developed to a point where it is relatively
inexpensive to use a fixtureless conveyor
that presents parts to a camera and feeds
44

MMT - January 2013

Cost was probably one of the hurdles
that deterred the progress towards
complete automation. However, the
magnitude of work pouring in and the
pressure to sustain quality demands have
made it imperative to deploy a robotic
force in shop floor processes.
While the automotive industry
generates an unparallel demand for
robotic solutions, the role of a robot
has profusely changed over the years.
Apart from the basic role in material
handling, robots today are used in a
wide range of industries like packaging,
jewellery making, part handling and
medical equipments manufacturing,
among others.

However, implementation of
robots does not necessarily imply
exclusion of human workforce.
Amidst all the efforts to automate
shop floors, human intervention will
always remain an integral part of the
system. The Indian shop floors now
need to incorporate robotic solutions
in order to enhance productivity
and efficiency.

Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Take
In the Indian manufacturing scenario,
while the lack of skilled manpower
boosts the need for robotic solutions,
the increasing criticality in the
manufacturing process is also compelling
manufacturers to vouch for reliable
solutions to increase efficiency, maintain
quality and reduce the cycle time of the
entire process.
Over the decade, given the
technological advancements, the cost of
implementing robotic solutions has also
declined. The industry is now moving
towards making intelligent robots with
additional features like robotic vision
and force sensing, which is changing
the dynamics of robotic application.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
Plasma Cutting System

Revving up the

Future
Demand
When it comes to producing complex
shapes, providing precision and increasing
efficiency, plasma cutting becomes a
necessity. Since its inception, the technology has
come a long way to become a key machining
technique and driven by the demand from industries
like shipbuilding, aerospace, die & mould, etc., it will
continue to play an important role.

P

lasma cutting has long been
seen as a low-cost alternative
to oxy-fuel and laser
profiling where cut angle
was not an issue. Recent
developments in the high-precision/
high-definition plasma process have
significantly improved the quality
and capabilities of plasma cutting,
making it a much more versatile and
accurate option.

numerous applications,” says Abhinav
Sood, Sales Leader, Hypertherm India.
According to Pranav P Deshpande,
Manager - Sales & Marketing, Danobat
India, “Manufacturers of plasma cutting
systems relentlessly pushed the laws of
physics to extract the best performance.
They reduced cut costs by increasing the
life of the torch consumable parts and
improved the cut edge angularity. This
created more applications for this high
speed metal cutting process.”

Advantages of Plasma Cutting
The speed, accuracy and range of
materials that plasma cutting system can
cut, have attracted automobile and steel
companies to use it on a large scale.
Plasma arc cutting is cheaper and faster
than oxy-fuel. It also provides greater
speed for thickness over 0.125 inches.
It is equipped with the latest metal
cutting techniques, prevents warping
and paint damage while cutting and
is faster and cost effective than other
equipment. “Plasma is very versatile, not
just in terms of material thickness but
also with regard to the types of metals
it can cut. The technology is suitable for
any ferrous or non-ferrous conductive
material and any type of metal. This
allows the equipment to be suitable for
46

MMT - January 2013

Application Area
Plasma cutting is a vital process for
any metal fabrication shop. Unlike
oxy-fuel, plasma can cut stainless steel,
aluminium, brass and mild steel. Plasma
is a thermal process that cuts electrically
conductive materials and involves a nearsupersonic jet of ionised gas that leaves
a negatively charged electrode inside a
torch tip. The plasma stream cuts by
heat-about 20,000°F to 50,000°F—
essentially melting the material being
cut. According to Sood, “Users of
plasma systems are spread across various
sectors. Plasma systems are applied
mainly in areas such as construction
equipment manufacturing, preengineered buildings and railways. With

increasing demand from the industry for
productivity, quality and reduced cost of
cutting, we see end users adopting more
high-end plasma systems.”

Adoption in India
The industry in India is blessed with
sufficient internal demand, as the
country has become a manufacturing
hub for small cars and some big
aerospace giants are also making their
presence felt in the country. This is
an opportunity for the metalworking
industry to meet the increasing demand
and deliver quality products.
“At present, most of India’s
mechanised plasma cutting segment
is dominated by international
manufacturers. Oxy-fuel remains the
most widely adopted thermal cutting
tool, and many end users are resistant
to switching to more advanced cutting
technologies because of the high initial
capital cost and limited awareness,”
says Sood. Owing to its initial cost, the
technology is in its nascent stage in the
country; however, in the future, plasma
technology will find success in the
manufacturing industry.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES
Vegetable-based Coolants

The Key
to Cost
Effectiveness
Vegetable oil has long been recognised as
having superior lubricating properties. These
new â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; coolants provide the lubricity
of straight oil with the cooling and flushing
abilities of water. The advantages and environmental
friendliness of vegetable-based coolants have forced
companies to use them in their machining process.

I

n recent years, we have seen a
paradigm shift from coolant cost
to total cost per component &
productivity with metalworking
fluids, which is significantly high
and more relevant in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive
market. Manufacturers value and
acknowledge high-cutting performance
as the most essential aspect of a coolant.
The industry has long been using
mineral- and petroleum-based oils.
However, petroleum-based soluble oils
suffer from inherent limitations such
as high toxicity to the environment,
poor biodegradability and inconsistent
characteristics with change in crude oil
composition. The disposal process for
such oils also adds an extra financial
burden to the users in the manufacturing
industry. As a result, synthetic
lubricants are increasingly being used
as an alternative to the mineral- and
petroleum-based oils.

New-age Coolants
Today, a new generation of emulsifiers
and stabilising agents has made
vegetable oil-based coolants that can
be used for a variety of machining
applications. And the production rates
for processes using these coolants have
48

MMT - January 2013

improved significantly. In addition,
nominal gain of 50% or better tool life
has also been experienced.

Vegetable-based and Mineralbased Coolants
Vegetable-based coolants are plantbased products. Their constituents have
been cultivated and refined for specific
performance properties and technical
requirements. The lubricating film layer
provided by vegetable oils is intrinsically
strong and lubricious. As a result, these
coolants have lubricity that is significantly
more than that of mineral oil. In addition,
vegetable oil-based products provide more
effective and durable lubrication. Even
for heavy-duty machining of demanding
material, vegetable-oil coolants can
be utilised without requiring Extreme
Pressure (EP) additives.
Mineral-based coolants tend to be
more lubricious than synthetic products.
Most of these cost less and their
composition & raw material base consist
primarily of naphthenic oils, with the
addition of specific lubricity ingredients,
EP agents and other additives.

Going Forward
With emphasis on the reduction of
carbon footprints and adoption of
green process, several manufacturers

are experimenting with vegetable-based
coolants in their day-to-day activities,
as mineral oil and synthetic alkanes
are not appropriate as the base oil for
environment-friendly cutting fluids.
This is because mineral oils and synthetic
alkanes are poor at biodegradability and
remain in water & soil for a long time,
causing pollution, whereas vegetable
oils and synthetic esters possess good
biodegradability properties. Since
the metalworking industry demands
environment-friendly and costeffective solutions, the coolant industry
constantly needs to improve its products
with such additives that will reduce heat
generation and biocides to control the
bacterial growth and wastage, as well as
increase tool life.

India and Biodegradable Fluids
In India, over 50,000 kilolitre of
metalworking fluids, developed from
mineral oil bases, are consumed annually.
However, vegetable oils are costly,
and until now, have not been able to
penetrate the Indian market. The rising
costs of crude oil, costs of disposal,
filtration, recycling, etc., make the switch
to vegetable oil-based lubricants easier to
understand.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

PRODUCTIVITY PARAMETERS
People & Processes

Leveraging on People and Processes
Productivityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;everyone wants it improved. It is defined as a measure of efficiency of production and
is often used to describe the increase in production output. But why is productivity in any aspect
important?

T

he
answer
to
why
productivity is important
is growth. Increasing
productivity means an
increase in economic
growth. But, when referring to
productivity, do we have a holistic
approach?

Driving Factors
Most will say that productivity can
it

T

M

M

Ed

Nedra Pereira

Sr Features Writer.
BEng (HONS) - Bachelor of
Mechanical Engineering with
honours from the University of
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

She has worked in various sectors
including academia. An engineer by
education with a penchant for the
English language, she uses her words
to resourcefully express the views and
developments of an ever evolving
industry.
nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

52

MMT - January 2013

be achieved through streamlining
of processes. But does increase in
production automatically translate
into increase in economic growth?
The other aspect is that increase in
production is instrumental in cost
reduction, which is very important for
any manufacturing company. In
addition, there is also a need to
increase market share, make a
global mark and stay ahead of
competitors. To increase productivity
and decrease cost, there are many
improvement technologies available in
the market such as Six Sigma, Lean
Manufacturing, The Toyota Production
System, etc.

Deciding which one is Best
The answer is simple, but the
implementation sometimes is hard. This
is because most companies will try and
implement a method and the expected
amount of improvement in a given
amount of time, say six months. When we
are improving our processes, chances are
that our competitors are doing the same.
So, even though there is improvement,
our market position does not change.

Everyone likes to be
heard. Leaders should
ensure that their
employees feel safe in
providing their feedback
or opinions.
One of the best ways to start is to
measure, analyse and set achievable
goals for improvement. This is the only
way you can work towards a logical plan
for improving productivity, after which
it is a repetitive processâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to keep doing
it over and over till the process is where
it needs to be.
Also, it is important to appreciate
the small improvements made and not
expect that using a set method will
automatically, over a short period, bring
about so much improvement that your
company will see new horizons within
six months of process implementation.
It is important to always keep the
bigger picture in mind. Also, one must

People & Processes
remember that streamlining processes
does not really mean anything to your
customer. Your customer will not be
concerned with how you manage your
business; he/she will only be concerned
with the value that the end product
will provide. This also means that any
improvement process you utilise needs
to add value for the end user. Therefore,
you need to decide how to streamline a
process such that it serves the customer
in the best possible manner. This is only
possible through continuous interaction
with the customer.

Measurement of Improvement
After you have chosen a given method
for streamlining processes within the
company, it is important to not get
discouraged with the initial results.
Rome was not built in a day and
productivity too does not enhance
overnight. A time frame should be
specified for all the implementations in
terms of the improvements to be done.
For instance, in the next six months, we
will finish step ‘A’, which will show us
results and with these results, we will
implement step ‘B’. There should be a
concise plan. If a crisis occurs in the
organisation, you should not go back
to the old method, thinking that after
this problem is sorted out we can then
continue with the new process. Going
back to the old methodology will only
regress any progress that has been
achieved, so far.

Is Process Streamlining
Sufficient?
A workplace or organisation, small
or large, should be efficiency- and
achievement-driven. This drive should
translate into tangible results for the
organisation and also be rewarding for
the employee. Productivity, in terms
of inputs, is also necessary to sustain
a business. And the best source of
productive inputs is the workforce that
works for you. This is why employee
productivity should be a major concern
too; however, lower productivity cannot
be blamed entirely on the employee.
The work environment along with

work conditions that define the work
culture plays a big role in productivity.
Management gurus always say that
valuing your people is one of the most
important things leaders can do for their
organisation. After all, employees too
are an asset.

Making Changes
Employers can implement a variety of
changes in order to improve day-to-day
productivity. Here are a few pointers
to what can be introduced to improve
productivity for both the employee and
the organisation.
Accountability
Employees need to be aware that they
are accountable for their actions and
decisions. This will help ensure that
all employees are cautious and output
thoroughly done work.
Follow-up
Leaders or managers often set targets
and think that their job is done. Every
target or milestone set should be

Valuable asset
for an organisation

Employees need to be
continually motivated to
perform and deliver
Employers need to hire
according to employees’ talent
and the working environment

followed up to check whether sufficient
progress has been made and whether
any interim measures need to be taken
in case a situation needs to be salvaged.
This ensures that the employee stays on
track, guaranteeing a consistent effort
throughout the lifetime of the project.
Manage the Workforce but Avoid
Micromanagement
A majority of your employees do
not need to be managed or provided
direction. However, they should be made
to feel trusted so that they can operate
in their style and adopt the measures
that they think are the best, to deliver
results. This freedom will make them
want to do more for their company as
the belief that they are trusted keeps

them encouraged and motivated.
Micromanagement is a human
tendency but is often harmful to
achievement because employees are
treated like puppets and there is no
room to grow. Being able to think
for themselves and analysing the
consequences allows them to serve their
organisation in the best way. And a
healthy work environment will allow for
this to be possible.
Push, Inspire, Incentivise and
Appreciate
Leaders should always be encouraging
and should push employees to ask more
of themselves. Finding innovative ways
of motivating them will encourage them
to do even more as everyone likes to be
appreciated. Rewarding the hard work
put in allows employees to carry on
working with the same determination.
Conversely, if employees feel that they
are not appreciated, in time, they will
stop working hard as they might feel
that others may not be putting in as
much as they are and are given the same
amount of remuneration; hence, they
will feel no need to work more. Also,
rewards or incentives keep employees
happy and they feel that their efforts
are being recognised. Without rewards,
they may be okay to leave and look for
greener pastures.
Keep the Doors of Communication
Open
Everyone likes to be heard. Leaders
should ensure that their employees feel
safe while providing their feedback or
opinions. The interpersonal skills of
the management should be such that
the leader does not seem like a Godly
superpower but rather humane.
Set Realistic Goals
Managers should set realistic targets.
While most leaders might want people to
be overly productive, setting impossible
goals will only burden the employee and
create a negative environment.
Teamwork
Often underestimated, teamwork is
essential to help increase workplace
productivity. Team building and
working together brings out the best
in employees who might also compete
January 2013 - MMT

53

People & Processes
with each other, thus ensuring that the
business is the winner.
Ensure that People Enjoy their Work
A happy employee always performs
well. Management should find ways to
make their most valuable assets happy.
Besides making changes to the working
conditions and culture, the management
should develop ways to make the work
seem interesting and challenging instead
of unexciting and boring.
Introduce Different Aspects of the
Business
Everyone likes change and routine jobs
can seem very mundane. Managers
should try to see core competencies
in the employee and gauge if the
employee can perform other tasks
or explore different divisions of
the business, thus making work
enjoyable and less mundane.
This not only adds to employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
learning
but
also
gives
them
a
holistic
view
of the business and can, at times, inspire
them to do more for the organisation.

54

MMT - January 2013

Micromanagement is
a human tendency but
is often harmful to
achievement because
employees are treated like
puppets and there is no
room to grow.
Improving Skills
Most employees enjoy the opportunities
given to them when they can enhance
their skill set, added to the fact that it
is being sponsored. Not only do they
get to learn but also appreciate that the
company cares for their improvement.
They feel obliged to perform well by
applying better knowledge gained from
the courses studied.
Meetings vs Action
Many organisations believe that meetings
and discussions are very important for

the success of their companies. This is
partly true, as meetings and discussions
are necessary but what is more important
is spending time working to achieve
results. Meetings should be limited to
sharing ideas and reviews and should be
kept for short allotments of time.
Equipping with the Right Tools
Workplaces must have the best devices
and equipment. This allows for almost
error-free work and efficient time
management as no breakdowns or
connectivity issues are encountered.
To conclude, productivity is an
important factor for any industry. But
one must be smart and implement
improvements in every aspectâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;
processes, people and infrastructure.
Concentrating on only one of the
factors mentioned above will not
help an organisation grow holistically.
A systematic approach is necessary.
Utilising a holistic approach will
enable you to not only progress and
grow but also stay ahead of the
competition.

ecessity is the mother of all invention and hence the machine tools industry is aptly
referred to as the Mother Industry. Without the machine tools industry, all other
industries would face a major problem. We would be living in primitive times. But in
an industry that caters to mass production and, at the same time, very niche solutions,
what are the steps to stay ahead? Global players are setting up shop in this country; some
of them are synonymous with innovation. What makes these big players innovate and introduce new
trends so that we end up with a plethora of new and improved products? How have they survived the
ups and downs of the economy and kept their market share intact?
Nedra Pereira talks to five Big Players in the global industry about the latest trends they are
introducing in the market, how they spot trends and what keeps them going. They talk about what is
it that India needs to become the next manufacturing hub by 2020 and will this be possible without
the adoption of latest trends.
Satish Godbole, Vice President – Motion Control Systems, Siemens, elucidates why customer
focus is the best way to beat competition, why innovation is essential in the tooling industry and how
India, being a technology user, is not far behind in coming at par with the global players.
Sreekanteshwar S, President – India Sales & Operation, Korber Schleifring India, discusses how
productivity can be increased in a finishing process like grinding without compromising on precision.
He stresses on how India is not far behind in adopting latest trends and how it is necessary to eliminate
shortcuts in order to streamline processes.
Colin Price, Director – Sales & Marketing, Renishaw, avers how innovation is the key to stay ahead
of competitors. He says that the major hurdles for machine tools growth in India is infrastructure and
lack of skilled labour. But by adopting innovative solutions, companies can set themselves apart from
the rest.
PG Jadeja, CMD, Jyoti CNC Automation, believes that latest trends come about from what valueadds can be made for the end user. He also talks about the necessity of changing the general mindset
of the industry. Moreover, he gives insights into what the future holds for the machine tools industry
and what his mantra is to be the best in the business.
Keshav Khurana, Sales Director – India Operations, Wohlhaupter India, observes that all
companies have to keep up-to-date with the latest trends; however, the solutions they offer have to be
cost-effective. He talks about how companies should not mind an initial heavy investment in order to
ensure a better output and hassle-free productivity.

January 2013 - MMT

73

TAKE ON TECHNOLOGY
Satish Godbole - Siemens

“

Compan es
need to th nk
b g

i“

...emphasises Satish Godbole, Vice President – Motion
Control Systems, Siemens India, as he converses with Nedra
Pereira about futuristic technology and the hurdles faced by
Indian companies in adopting these trends.
at the operator panel, machine operators
can directly access the energy management
functions of their machines.

Adopting these Technologies in
India
Recognising a Profitable Trend
or Futuristic Technology
Every profitable trend or futuristic technology
germinates through some early movers—
organisations that identify a spark, turn it
into a trend and create new markets. Many
successful corporations have introduced
‘disruptive technologies’, created a demand
and set new benchmarks in the industry.
At Siemens, we believe in harnessing
innovative productivity trends and futuristic
technologies through various partnerships
and associations. We encourage knowledge
sharing forums, for example, the IMTMASiemens Productivity Championship
awards, where on one hand, we promote
our cutting-edge concepts and solutions
on productivity and on the other hand,
gather innovative ideas on productivity
improvement trends from the manufacturing
sector. Such partnerships go a long way
in identifying, developing and promoting
profitable trends and technologies.

Latest Cutting-edge
Technologies
We constantly innovate our CNC solutions
to provide a competitive edge to our
customers. For example, in SINUMERIK,
we have a unique feature ‘Ctrl Energy’.
Using the key combination ‘Ctrl’ and ‘E’

74

MMT - January 2013

Today, India is already at a point of
inflection as a technology user. We
all know that India is looked at as the
next manufacturing hub of the
world. India is rapidly expanding its
footprints even in the complex domains of
aerospace, turbines and medical implants.
Machine users are looking forward
to adopt new technologies. Taking note
of this situation, our domestic machine
tools builders are also rapidly upgrading
their capabilities to meet the growing
demand of high-end technology.

Hurdles in Adopting Latest
Trends
Top-notch technological trends are already
being used in the industry. However, these
machines are imported. The cost factor
involved acts as a deterrent to adopting highend technology. The number of users will
increase if the machines, which are currently
imported, become affordable. Also, if Indian
machine tools builders develop machines on
high-end technology platforms, this problem
can be addressed. The main challenge lies
in acquiring investments in R&D and
availability of skilled manpower.

Customisation: The Best Way
Forward?
Customisation is losing its ground as

technology requirements are evolving
faster than they can be envisaged. From
the trend of production line being
segregated as general purpose machines
and special purpose machines, the trend
has moved to flexible manufacturing
systems. With the futuristic trend
moving towards multitasking, there is a
dire need for machines that can adapt
quickly to any change in technology
requirement.

India ... A Manufacturing Hub
by 2020?
Stronger partnerships between academia
and industry will create skilled manpower
that has extensive knowledge base and
is aware of the trending technologies.
Although government policies are
mandatory to boost India’s prospects in
manufacturing, manufacturing companies
have to start ‘thinking big’. SMEs have
to build their brand image leveraging
on technology usage, productivity and
quality for global competitiveness along
with R&D, competence development and
capital investment.

Mantra to Beat Competition
Customer focus is highly important. We
will always believe in being customer
focused. Our strategies are always customer
centric. We try to create value for customers
through technological innovations, make
them more competitive and create a winwin business partnership.
nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

TAKE ON TECHNOLOGY
Sreekanteshwar S - Korber Schleifring

“ increase

El minate shortcuts,

productivity

“

...avers Sreekanteshwar S, President – India Sales &
Operation, Korber Schleifring India. He talks to Nedra Pereira
on the latest trends in grinding processes and how India will
eventually adopt global trends.
Latest Trends in Grinding
Grinding is a finishing process, and
for many components, the last process
that they undergo. It is also a slow
process as the removal of material is in
microns. Hence, the main advancement
in grinding is faster productivity. In
grinding, new bonded wheels that
can remove material faster than the
traditional grinding process have come
into existence. These bonded wheels
can remove material at a faster rate.
To gain high finish and high precision,
technology is being developed in both
the grinding wheel area as well as
machine area. The machine has to be
able to take higher levels of torque and
should be stable to give good output.
The S41, a universal CNC grinding
machine developed by Studer, our
group company, has a base made out
of mineral casting, which is nothing but
granite crushed into small pieces and
then refabricated. It offers high rigidity,
high stability and high damping effect,
which is very important for grinding.
This machine is also capable of
machining hard metals such as titanium
and its alloys.

precision is also lost. You require high
precision and low friction in grinding.
Struder has developed a product—
Studer guide—that allows the reduction
of friction and increases precision and
productivity.
Take the automobile industry for
instance: components require finishing
with tolerance of 2 microns or even
1 micron. Normal grinding processes
can achieve this, but the cycle time
will increase tremendously. With the
technology used in our products, we are
able to achieve the same tolerances of
less than a micron but with less time,
thereby increasing productivity and still
maintaining high precision.

Trends yet to be Adopted in India
It is not that Indian companies are not
looking to adopt the latest trends but
yes, they have been slower in adopting
them than their Western counterparts.
But it is only a matter of time. Earlier,
cost was a major factor for OEMs not
adopting trends, but now, they too
know that if productivity and quality are
needed, then investment is necessary.
Another key trend that has not been
adopted with open arms is automation.

Benefits for the Customer
In grinding, when you move two surfaces
against each other, there is friction. This
causes heat, loss of energy and accuracy.
Hence, friction needs to be removed; but
when there is no friction, control over

75

Automation: A Key Factor
In India, automation has been adopted
by OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers. It is
because these companies realise that
adopting automation in the long run will

help save costs and increase productivity.
However, 70% of the manufacturing in
India is done by Tier 2, Tier 3 and
unorganised sectors. For companies
that fall under these categories, buying
machines from the European market
and developing local automations
will help cut down automation costs.
In addition, infrastructure and orders
in terms of volume play a key role in
allowing automation or customisation.

Streamlining Processes or
Enhancing Productivity
It is highly essential to eliminate
shortcuts. Generally, for manufacturing
a product, there are a set number of
necessary steps. But what happens is
that many companies think that some
of the steps are not necessary and then
face problems at a later stage. Trying
to fix a problem once the product is
almost ready is less productive and
more problematic.
nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

January 2013 - MMT

75

TAKE ON TECHNOLOGY
Colin Price - Renishaw

“

i

Innovat on

s Key

“

...says Colin Price, Director – Sales & Marketing, Renishaw
Mertology Systems Pvt Ltd, in a candid conversation with
Nedra Pereira about the latest trends in the industry and what
it takes to stay ahead of the game.
ranging from 20 to 100 microns.
The laser melting machines feature
vacuum technology and low gas
consumption. The machines have been
designed by Renishaw for ease of use
within a manufacturing environment
and feature a touch-screen interface.
Machine robustness has been given
high priority by adopting a ‘machine
tool’ approach and serviceability. This
technology is already widely employed
in medicine, aerospace, mechanical and
automobile manufacturing.

Adoption of these Technologies
Latest Technologies and
their Benefits
Renishaw’s latest gauging device
Equator™ is positioned as a radical
alternative to dedicated gauges
that significantly cut the costs of
purchase, maintenance and fixturing.
This new gauging system can be
pre-programmed for multiple parts
and takes just a few minutes to be
re-programmed for any component
design changes—a significant benefit
over existing custom gauges. Users of
Equator™ can switch between parts
in seconds, which is ideal for flexible
manufacturing processes or accepting
parts from multiple machines.
Another latest technology added
in the umbrella of Renishaw is laser
melting, which is a pioneering additive
manufacturing process capable of
producing fully dense metal parts
directly from 3D CAD using a highpowered fibre laser. Parts are built from
a range of fine metal powders that are
fully melted in a tightly controlled
atmosphere layer by layer in thicknesses
76

MMT - January 2013

India has the fastest growing economy
and with the advancement in technology,
majority of the companies are ready to
invest in systems that will help them get
maximum returns. The export market
has increased its share in the past few
years, which further establishes the need
to adopt latest technologies.

Major Hurdles
There are many infrastructural issues that
hinder growth, such as the integration
of the latest technologies in the existing
set up. Also, the lack of awareness and
unskilled labour are the biggest issues in
the industry.

The Way Forward
By adopting innovative solutions and
design for manufacturing principle,
companies can set themselves apart.
Instead of being in a firefighting
mode, they need to be proactive and
plan for consistent and sustainable
processes. Adapting for not only today
but also tomorrow and designing for
manufacturing are keys to sustainable

growth in the machine tools industry.

India ... A Manufacturing Hub
by 2020?
It is highly important to learn the best
practices from the West and integrate
them in the infrastructure with a
long-term planning approach. It is
crucial to look at sustainable solutions
that will help companies increase
their capabilities.

Management Mantra
Innovation is the key for us. Ours is a
company that invests heavily in research
and development; last year alone, we
invested £48 million. In the future too,
we will continue to invest heavily in new
product development, manufacturing
capacity and service operations. In
India, we recently opened a 4,875-sq
m extension to our Pune facility. This
expansion represents a near trebling of
space at the Pune site, which is intended
to meet the long-term growth needs
of the company’s Indian operations in
terms of product assembly, software
development, sales & marketing and
customer support.
The newly expanded facility will
include additional space for Renishaw’s
Indian customer demonstration and
a training centre. With a rapidly
expanding customer base and network
of local offices, the extended space
will be used to house a larger
number of CNC machine tools and
Coordinate Measuring Machines
(CMMs) to aid pre-sales demonstrations
and product training.
nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

TAKE ON TECHNOLOGY
PG Jadeja - Jyoti CNC

“

Break

Psycholog

i

cal

Barr ers

“

... insists PG Jadeja, CMD, Jyoti CNC Automation. In a tête-à-tête
with Nedra Pereira, he reveals what sets his company apart from
the rest.
for better productivity and higher
accuracies. Today, skilled labour is a
very valuable asset. The introduction
of automation reduces the need to
man the machine, and hence, human
errors can be minimised. The use
of multitasking machines also adds
value features that ease the load of
machine operators.

Adopting these Technologies in
India

Recognising a Profitable Trend
or Futuristic Technology
Futuristic technology can be
differentiated through the addon benefits or features that can be
incorporated in conventional technology
for the benefit of end users. At the
end of the day, one wants a better
overall efficiency, better quality, better
productivity and ease of operation.

Latest Technologies and their
Benefits
As our mission is ‘Propelling
Technology, Prospering Life’, we are
keen to offer customised solutions
through technology. Our R&D team
is constantly working on how they can
add value to the products offered by
Jyoti. Currently, we offer sophisticated
High Speed Machining (HSM)
solutions through state-of-the-art
5-axis machines and automations. Our
solutions are aimed at reducing the
cycle times and ultimately, productivity,
which is the need of the hour.
Advanced technology allows
78

MMT - January 2013

Initially, adaptation of technologies was
limited owing to some psychological
barriers. People were hesitant to adopt
new things, but somewhere down the
line, there has been a mindset shift and
Indian companies have opened up to
experimenting with new technologies.

Major Hurdles Faced by Indian
Companies
As I mentioned earlier, the main hurdle
is only psychological. Most people do
not want to experiment with something
new. The general Indian mindset is
to only adapt to new circumstances
if its advantages have been proved.
This neophobia (fear of adapting
new things) can be somewhat diluted
if people have faith in manufacturers
and are ready to take the risk of being
first-time users of new technology.
However, new generation professionals
and entrepreneurs readily adopt
the latest trends.

Streamlining the Processes
Productivity can only be achieved
constantly through adaptation of the
system approach. Holistic discipline at
each minor stage of the process can

lead to better productivity. Achieving
productivity in one instance is easy
but
repeated
and
constant
achievement could be a challenge.
A well laid system approach is the
only
way
to
optimise
the
supply chain, i.e., by optimal use of
all resources.

The Way Forward for the
Machine Tools Industry
Even though the last few quarters
were not promising, the future is
expected to be very bright. India
has its own consumption story,
which will result in higher demands
across all sectors. Once inflation
comes in control, the rate cut cycle
from RBI will boost industrial
demands. Global situations are getting
better by the day; this is a positive
signal for the next boom cycle. The
latest IIP numbers indicate the
end of the bad phase.

Company’s Mantra to Excel
Sir Alvin Toffler rightly said,
“The illiterates of the 21st century
will not be those who cannot
read and write but those who
cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”
To stay ahead of the competition
is to constantly thrive in order to
innovate and create technological
leads. We believe in trend setting.
Our young team has a very open
mindset and is keen on learning,
experimenting, adapting and fine
tuning the technology to stay well ahead
of the competition.
nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

TAKE ON TECHNOLOGY
Keshav Khurana - Wohlhaupter

“

Cost-effect ve
Solut ons
are Necessary

i

...believes Keshav Khurana, Sales Director - India Operations,
Wohlhaupter India. During an interaction with Nedra Pereira,
he discusses why Wohlhaupter GmbH decided to set its
subsidiary in the subcontinent.
Setting Base in India
Wohlhaupter GmbH, established in
1929 by Emil Wohlhaupter for die
and mold manufacturing, had many
customers in India and picked up on
the need for after-sales support. To
ensure that customers are getting the
right support and also to understand
their day-to-day needs, Wohlhaupter
GmbH established its 100% subsidiary
in India.

Latest Cutting-edge
Technologies Offered
Today, Wohlhaupter is globally known
as a manufacturer of modular tool
systems for machining centres and
turning/milling centres, facing and
boring heads, grooving heads, clamping
tools as well as customised solutions for
boring operations. The latest technology
that we are currently offering is a
Combi-line boring tool (roughing and
finishing boring bar along with setting
accuracy of 2 microns (from 24.5 mm
onwards and up to 3,255 mm), which
no one else offers in the sector. Also,
this tool can replace a number of tools,
thereby saving cycle time.

Adopting these Technologies in
India
The Indian industries are aware of the
international market, they know about
the latest trends and standards and want
to ensure high-quality standards too.
But these solutions need to be costeffective for the customer. Also, any
80

MMT - January 2013

“

type of advancement will bring about
benefits. A quality finished product,
which saves cycle time coupled with
long life of tools and reduction in
rejection rates, is truly beneficial.

Major Hurdles Faced by Indian
Companies
The fall of the rupee by more than 15%
since August 2011 has been a blow
to India’s economy. This is adding
pressure to the price of production in
manufacturing and inflation in general,
which has been around 9% for the last
couple of years. More importantly, rising
production costs reduce profit margins
and overall investment activities.
Indian companies try to control the
Cost Per Piece (CPP) and hesitate to
invest in expensive toolings, but quality
never comes cheap. If we have to be
competitive, we must adopt the latest
available technology in the market and
be the best quality producers to stand
out from international competitors.

India ... A Manufacturing Hub
by 2020?

Advice to Streamline Processes

Your Mantra to Stay Ahead of the
Competition

India is a growing market with
ongoing regular investments. There
are many global players at various price
points, and one has to be different
to excel. Machines, tools and related
inputs for component machining
should be properly planned without
any compromises. Though this will
amount to high initial investment,
it will ensure a better output and
hassle-free productivity.

Indian companies need to adopt the latest
technology and establish quality standards
in line with international standards.
This will attract developed countries
to purchase from India. Currently,
China is ahead of us in fetching more
manufacturing business. Our government
has to be more flexible in the investment
options for manufacturing companies.
Also, the tax structure has to be friendlier.
Fuel prices need to be analysed so that
the ultimate cost is competitive. Other
states should follow suit to what Gujarat,
Chennai, Pantnagar, etc. have done to
become the next manufacturing hub.

Our company tries to keep a focused
approach in helping understand the real
needs of customers. Responding faster
and clarifying the queries in line with the
requirement of customers is what we strive
for. And, of course, offering exceptional
and flexible support—before, during and
after the sale—has been achieved.
nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

WOMEN LEADERS
Sonali Kulkarni - FANUC India

Gender
is not an

issue
...when it comes to any industry, believes Sonali Kulkarni, President
& CEO, FANUC India Pvt Ltd. The eloquent lady, who is the driving
force behind FANUC, speaks unequivocally to Nedra Pereira on
what it is like to be in a man’s world, why education is important
& how it opens one’s mindset and why sincerity is a very valuable
quality in a person.
What inspired you to join the
machine tools industry?
Honestly, it was circumstance. I had
been working as a Certified Public
Accountant (CPA) in the US when
my brother introduced me to FANUC.
I had never thought of working
in Japan, but I met Dr Inaba, my
boss, and thought of taking up the
challenge; and a challenge it was. As it
happened, FANUC serves the machine
tools industry.

Your educational background is
not of engineering. According to
you, does one particularly need
an engineering background to
enter the machine tools industry?
An engineering background is a prerequisite if one wants to be in product
development or even application
engineering. FANUC is a company of
engineers. But the doors do not shut
on one if one does not have a BE. My
basic degree is in Zoology, a subject I
still love and pursue in my free time.
I later studied Law and Business and
took membership to the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India. Later,
having moved to the US, I also qualified
84

MMT - January 2013

as a CPA and CMA since Americans
do not recognise our CA. I try to
put my education and life experience
to work in approaching issues with a
solution-oriented approach.

Did you face difficulties when
entering this field?
Not at all. I find people are interested in
solutions. Especially in India, customers
are focused on results and gender
is not an issue. Having said that,
I must say that I have received only
the most welcoming treatment in
our industry.

You have been the driving force
behind FANUC India. What is
the management style you follow
in your company?
At FANUC India, we are a small,
cohesive team intensely focused on
customer delight. Therefore, it is wrong
to apportion credit to any one person.
I prefer the egalitarian approach to
work and life. Excellent ideas and solid
contribution can come from any part
of the team. The trick is to foster an
environment of openness and lightness
without compromising on quality.

What do you look for in a
potential candidate when hiring
for FANUC India?
Educational qualifications are a given.
But we focus on assessing the character,
whether there is alignment between
the heart & mind and if the candidate
has the hunger to learn and contribute
to the team. There is no fun if you

UP CLOSE

&personal

What is your personal motto?
I’m not sure if these qualify as ‘mottos’,
but I believe that we are here to learn
from every experience and refine
ourselves. I also feel strongly about
being nice to the earth and its other
inhabitants in every way possible at
all times.
How would you like to be
remembered?
Frankly, I think that it is important to
create whatever impact one wishes in
the current rather than wait for later.
For example, it is important to me to
do my utmost always, but with grace
all around. Also, I believe that we can
do a lot more to hurt the earth’s other
residents less, but this point is widely
misunderstood and even ignored.
What’s the best advice anyone has
ever given you?
Be nice. It is not easy to always do
what is right while being nice, but it
is possible.
Your favourite inspirational quote?
I can’t pick any one. I like “Be the
change you want to see in the world.”
What do you do when you are not
working?
I play with animals, read, cook, talk
to friends, travel, admire trees, study
India’s textiles, spend time with family
and visit small towns in India.

Sonali Kulkarni - FANUC India
are already bored from day one. Like
all employers, FANUC also trains
young engineers and other incoming
professionals on the job. However, we
cannot train a person on sincerity or
attitude. These traits are critical and
the switches for these lie in the hands
of each person. Today’s generation is
exceptionally smart and aware. If they
could bolster this with sincerity (a
binary field, no gradations here) and
a hunger to understand concepts from
the fundamentals, I think there is no
stopping them.

What is the mantra of your
company to maintain a
competitive edge over others in
India?
FANUC products are built to last. Our
failure rate of just 0.02 on an installed
base of about 880,000 units in India is
proof. In other words, we encounter
1 failure every 100 months (roughly
8 years MTBF). All our products are
made in Japan at the highly robotised
FANUC factories. In addition to this,
we, at FANUC India, believe in striving
to add value through strong customer
support. Each of our engineers is trained
to respect customers, understand their
requirements and propose the most
optimally spec’d FANUC product. We
are committed to refrain from fancy
specs, which would mean higher price
in the present, but do not win customer
confidence in the medium term.
Our after-sales service team is
geared to give quick and effective
solutions from each of our 23 offices
around India. We rigorously capture
data and presently average a 22-hour
response time (including nights,
holidays) across our total installed base
in India. Finally, our industry values
consistency and reliability. FANUC
always commits only what it can deliver
and delivers what it commits or more,
but never less. As a team, we make
mistakes, but our intent to serve the
customer is always pure and strong.
This has helped us build and retain
over 80% share in our industry over the
past decade.

What is the one thing according
to you that stops women from
entering the machine tools
industry in India?
By its nature, our industry has a
disproportionate impact on the
nation’s GDP. But we have an equally
disproportionately (small) share of mind
in the general population. Further,
machine builders tend to be strong,
dominant men. By their nature, they
tend to have smaller teams run as
a family enterprise. Therefore, it is
no surprise that we do not attract
young talent (women or men) in any
meaningful proportion to India’s large
youth. Frankly, we have also done little
to convince young people of the career
potential in this industry.

Women are special
and life expects them
to juggle many roles;
most of them manage
beautifully even if it is
at a personal cost.

Are women the new force to
reckon with and how will women
play a bigger role in the machine
tools industry?
Women are special and life expects
them to juggle many roles; most
of them manage beautifully
even if it is at a personal
cost. Having said this,
I feel women are
yet to make a mark
in this industry in
terms of numbers.
There are examples of
individual talent that
happen to be females,
but it cannot yet
be interpreted as a
gathering force.
nedra.pereira@
network18publishing.com

January 2013 - MMT

85

WOMEN LEADERS
JACK...ERRR... JANE OF ALL TRADES!

A

ristotle Onassis, a prominent Greek shipping magnate, once said, “If women didn’t exist, all the money
in the world would have no meaning.” This might seem funny to a reader, but if you really think about
it, the meaning is quite profound. Women have always worked, only not given the rightful recognition
in India, be it as a daily wage labourer or a helping hand in the field. Even if you go back to history,
you will find a plethora of examples of where she has fought for her family, her people, her rights and
even her country.
So, what is it that makes women not only work but thrive in the so-called ‘Man’s World’? Breaking the labels
of traditional & non-traditional roles and inculcating qualities such as persistence, determination, discipline,
confidence, open-mindedness, creativity and passion, the following section interacts with three very strong and
brilliant personalities who have carved a niche place for themselves. Nedra Pereira has a delightful tête-à-tête with
three women leaders in a gender-biased world. Sonali Kulkarni, President and CEO, FANUC India Pvt Ltd, may
be an eloquent soft-spoken lady, but she definitely knows how to get her point across. She speaks with honesty
about the ongoings in the industry and tells us how she drives her company. Mohini Kelkar, Managing Director,
Grind Master Machines Pvt Ltd, has a penchant for always wanting to challenge herself by doing what is not
expected of ‘women’, which is refreshing and inspiring. She talks on the double standards in the industry and how
things are changing. Shubhra Miranda, Director, Omira Marketing Pvt Ltd, believes in staying true to herself and
credits this quality in helping her face all challenges.
allenges. She affirms that any industry is not about gender; rather, it is
about one’s conviction of oneself and what drives
rives people to do what they do.

84

Sonali Kulkarni,
President & CEO
FANUC India Pvt Ltd

86

Mohini Kelkar,
Managing Director
Grind Master Machines Pvt Ltd

88

Shubhra Miranda,
Director
Omira Marketing Pvt Ltd

January 2013 - MMT

83

WOMEN LEADERS
Mohini Kelkar - Grind Master Machines

Passion is
necessary for
Innovation
...says Mohini Kelkar, Managing Director, Grind Master Machines
Pvt Ltd. With an affinity to all matters different and challenging,
this knowledgeable lady is passionate about the machine tools
industry and keeps innovating. In a tête-à-tête with Nedra Pereira,
she gives insight into why women are a force to reckon with in the
machine tools industry.
What inspired you to walk on the
road less travelled?

Did you face opposition when
entering this field?

Growing up, I never conformed to the
usual. My interest has always been to
challenge myself and try my hand at
different things. At the time when I
was choosing what I wanted to study,
most girls who did take up engineering
either chose Electrical or Electronics
Engineering. I was always interested in
studying Mechanical Engineering. But
in 1977–78, Production Engineering,
a new branch of engineering, was
available. However, no girls were
enrolled in that course, and also you
could only get in if you were a topper,
based on the first year engineering
marks. Luckily for me, my rank was
in the top 10 and hence, I could take
up Production Engineering. I took this
up despite being the only girl in my
class, and I probably am the first lady
Production Engineer in Maharashtra
and may be even India. The course was
related to Mechanical Engineering, but
was more hands on and I got to learn a
lot about machine tools and production
processes. Additionally, I felt that a lot
of technical development opportunities
existed in this field.

Initially, there was a little bit of hesitation
from the family side. The course—
Production Engineering—I chose to do
was a sandwich course, which meant that
the classes were held in the evening as
the professors who taught us would finish
their work and then come and teach us.
My family was reluctant owing to the fact
that no girls other than me were in the
class and that the class ended at 9 pm.
However, they fully supported me and
accepted such odd timings. Moreover,
the machine tools industry is a man’s
world. But as I started this business
together with my husband, I did not face
any opposition. Of course there were
challenges in day-to-day working. The
industry was more accepting to a man’s
word than a woman’s. Initially, when I
would talk to clients about a proposal,
they would doubt if I could give them
the right information. Even when I
insisted that the proposal was made by
me and I could explain all the technical
aspects, I could see their hesitation.
But once I gave them all the facts, they
became more accepting. Our clients then
got used to me being able to give them

86

MMT - January 2013

technical knowledge. Most people are
not habituated to seeing a woman in the
field and hence, ask more questions. So,
I think that women in the machine tools
sector need to prove themselves a little bit
more than men. An interesting turning
point for me was when, as a company,
Grind Master had applied for GS Parke
Award for innovative products; when I
went there to explain the products we
had developed, the panel of judges asked
me to send the person who developed
it. On learning it was me, they were so
impressed that they recommended me
for the FIE Foundation Award, which
got me a lot of recognition. These aren’t

UP CLOSE

&personal

What did you aspire to be as a
child?
As a child I was always sincere, and
was well prepared for all tasks given
to me. My parents inspired me to
do the best in whatever I chose to
do. My inclination was always to do
something different from the rest.
In your spare time, what do you
enjoy doing?
I like to read inspirational books
and listen to the music. I am also
learning classical dance. When on
vacation, I invariably go trekking in
the mountains or cycling.
What is your personal motto?
For me, Grind Master is my
everything and hence, my personal
motto is to create a unique identity of
Grind Master in the world.
If not in this industry, where
would you be?
I think I would be in architecture
or industrial designing if not in this
industry because there is a large scope
for innovation in these sectors.

Did you ever think it would
expand to where it is today?
We have come a long way from our
humble beginnings in a garage with a
very small investment of less than a lakh
in 1984. We started out by developing
a buffing machine for cookware
polishing. We developed different kinds
of machines in the first five years. After
this, we decided to focus on metal
finishing and deburring applications,
as we found the methods of carrying
out these processes to be primitive. We
improved these processes by physical
experimentation and also learn how these
processes were being carried out abroad.
We could then provide cost-effective
solutions to our cliental, explaining
clearly what the machines could do for
them. It was hardwork and continuous
R&D, which has made our company
what it is today. Furthermore, we also
saw potential in taking our products
to the globe, and are now successfully
exporting around 30% of our products.

when the innovated idea works brings
about a great feeling of achievement.

How do you gauge what the latest
trends in the industry?
We gauge the latest trends in our
industry by constantly interacting with
our customers and understanding what
they need. Experimentation also brings
about trends. I have seen this happen
in my company as well. When we felt
something was ideal for a customer and
went ahead with it, we set a trend. So,
keeping up-to-date with the latest trends
in the industry and understanding
what the customer really wants helps
create trends. Additionally, visiting
and participating in exhibitions
worldwide helps us understand the
latest trends in the industry.

Women are very
sincere in their work
and hence, can bring
about customer
confidence; this is true
for all industries.

nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

Do you think that women bring
a different skill set to the work
environment, especially in the
machine tools industry?
Yes. Women are very sincere in their
work and hence, can bring about
customer confidence; this is true for
all industries. Women are much more
organised and can bring systematic
innovation in the machine tools
industry. Also, when your company
grows, you need to develop the
organisation and systems to produce &
maintain the quality of your products
and market them in an effective way.
Women, in general, are multitaskers,
and hence, can manage to do all this.

What inspires you to innovate?
I believe that conviction about a new
idea and passion are the main drivers
of innovation as opposed to money.
Passion gives you the drive to want to
grow and prosper. Innovation brings
about improvement or gives rise to new
processes. And the satisfaction gained
January 2013 - MMT

87

WOMEN LEADERS
Shubhra Miranda - Omira Marketing

Do

things the
right way!

...says Shubhra Miranda, Director, Omira Marketing Pvt Ltd.
From working in the pharmaceutical industry to now managing
companies in the machine tools industry, her experience is vast.
Nedra Pereira converses with this straightforward lady about the
journey so far.
Nowadays, women are seen
in non-traditional roles. Do
you think that women bring a
different but necessary skill set to
the workplace environment?
Yes, we do see women in non-traditional
roles and this definitely enhances the
skill set. This is probably why women
are successful at non-traditional roles
because they bring a different perspective
to the industry. I am a pharmaceutical
graduate working in the machine tools
industry; so, technically, I am not
qualified to be here, but I am here for
the past 9–10 years and I am adding
value. What I brought to the table was
analysing the situations holistically with
a systematic approach and process-driven
streamlining. Personally, I feel that it is
necessary to have a varied skill set, so that
value can be added to the company.

Pharmaceutical to Machine
Tools ... Please tell us a little
more about your journey?
I started my career in line with my
education and interest with Nicholas
Piramal as a product executive handling
the marketing aspect of the drugs and
licenses. For about five years, I was
working in my own industry. Then
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MMT - January 2013

marriage happened, responsibilities
increased. In 2003–04, India, as a whole,
was not doing too well, so I decided
to take a break and look into what I
wanted to do next. During this break,
my husband asked me to actually come
and participate in the business. Prior to
this, I did not have the time to look at
the family business as such, but the break
gave me the option to interact with the
company. I started out by spending three
to four hours a day in office and my input
was useful to the company. This was the
beginning of my journey in the machine
tools sector. From here, I started taking
interest in other departments of the
company like finance and accounts, HR,
etc. The industry also started picking up
and our business started growing. We
now have four companies and six offices
spread across India. I look at every aspect
of the business, other than physically
servicing a machine, holistically.

What advice would you give to
women who want to enter the
machine tools industry?
The machine tools industry is extremely
male dominated. Be it engineers or
sales or any other department. For
me, getting into the machine tools

industry was not a calculated move.
I came in directly as an owner. So,
perhaps, I am not the right authority to
be able to give advice on what should
be done in this particular industry.
And yes, initially, for a couple of
years, I did not feel very comfortable
in the industry. My husband and I
are both non-engineers, but we are
pharmacists by education. However,
I noticed that in this business, when
I spoke to someone, it was not as
respected as when my husband said the
same thing. Now, however, when I have
something to say, people will listen because
they know I mean business. Women
have to prove themselves more in this
industry to be taken seriously. Other
than this, all I can say is that be it a man or
a woman, if you are good at what

UP CLOSE

&personal

In your spare time you like to...?
I like to listen to good music, watch a
meaningful movie or read. Currently,
the spiritual genre fascinates me.
What’s the best advice anyone has
ever given you?
The best advice was given to me by
my father. “Be true to yourself; be true
to what you do. Stand up for the right
things, and when you face opposition
standing up for the right things, do
not get scared because, ultimately, the
truth and right will prevail.”
Your favourite quote?
Do things the right way! I try to live
my life according to this principle.
Your greatest achievement till
date?
Making a difference in other people’s
lives and not living my life superficially
are what I consider to be my greatest
achievements till date.

Shubhra Miranda - Omira Marketing
you do and you have the drive, people will
take notice. And no industry
is specifically male- or femaleorientated. There is no such thing as a
traditional role in today’s world.
There’s ample scope in all the
industries today. If you are convinced
of what you want to do, believe
in yourself and you will be able to
make your mark.

What are the latest trends you
follow to create value for your
customer?
Today, people are looking for holistic
solutions. To provide a solution to
a customer, for example, when a
customer comes to us, we ask for
drawing & components and study
what exactly he/she is looking for.
Only after that do we will advice
him/her on what the available
options are. We do not just give
our customers a quote for a
machine that we represent. We have
even declined offers saying that we
do not have a machine that can
provide you with a solution for the
type of work you want to do as
no product is available in our
market. We try and imbibe technology
rather than make a sale.

reason for us growing.

What is the one thing according
to you that stops women from
entering the machine tools
industry in India?
I think the main reason for women
not entering the machine tools industry
is fear, as the presence of women is
not felt in the industry. Also, depending
on the role one wants to pursue,
safety may also be an issue;
for instance, a service engineer
has to travel to wherever there
is a breakdown, irrespective of
the time of day. Also, there is
a lot of stereotyping of
the industry. But I believe
that this is more of a mindset
than an actuality. There is
ample scope in the industry
to apply oneself. You just
need to be confident of your
education and apply what
you have learnt.

If you are convinced
of what you want to
do and believe
in yourself, you will be
able to
make your mark.

nedra.pereira@
network18publishing.com

What is the mantra of your
company to maintain a
competitive edge over others in
India?
Our motto is ‘Unparalleled Service
and Unparalleled Solutions’. This is
something we always stand by. So,
the competitive edge we have over
our competitors is that we provide
solutions rather than agents who
sell machines. We work with our
clients like partners. Another edge
that we have is our extensively trained
and highly skilled service team. We
have a turnaround time of 24 hours.
We offer service in terms of not only
spare parts but also technical knowledge.
For us, after-sales support is very
important and our sensitivity towards
the way we handle customer problems
is what I feel is the fundamental
January 2013- MMT

he machine tools industry is growing at an unimaginably fast pace. Opportunities
from all quarters have opened up and the industry has a lot of scope to expand its
reach. However, with opportunities come competition and challenges. One is then
left to ponder on whether this platform of opportunities reserved for the seasoned
players with the benefit of years of experience has created a brand image in the
industry. Are new and small players encouraged to enter the big game? Are the opportunities
being shared generously between all players or is it survival of the fittest? What will it take for
new entrants to carve a niche of their own?
While repeating these questions, at some point, the answer becomes quite clear. While the
window of opportunities lies open for all, it is those with new ideas and focus who succeed.
The industry today appreciates newness and uniqueness in approach.
Debarati Basu Das finds out five such New Age Entrepreneurs from across the country
who have been in the grind only to rise as stronger businessmen. These five entrepreneurs
started off in a small way, but their mantra to success has been to bring uniqueness to their
business. Rising over challenges and discovering a new way to be unique everyday is what
distinguishes them from enterprises.
Kumar Ramachandra, Founder & Director, Wintegral Engineering Pvt Ltd, has always
chosen the roads never taken. Always trying to forge a unique business concept, not all his
ideas have worked out. But that is exactly the reason that encourages him to think, create
and come up with a new idea. The mantra of M Sreenivas, Director â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Marketing, Four M
Technologies Pvt Ltd, and his small team is to believe in their strengths rather than brooding
over their weaknesses. They try to find opportunities in the most unimaginable places and that
is what has made them unique in their venture.
Anil Kumar, Managing Director, Involute Automation Pvt Ltd, understands the fact that
the world appreciates something new, yet affordable, to the pockets. This is what drives him
to not just make unique machines but also bring them closer to the customers. Rupesh Mehta,
Managing Director, Macpower CNC Machines Pvt Ltd, a Gujarati to the core, talks and
thinks business. He has not just been a risk taker but has also understood the market nuances
well to run the show with his calibre. For Vineet Dravid, Managing Director, COMSOL
Multiphysics Pvt Ltd, the passion for new technologies has always been his elixir, which helps
him bring state-of-the-art technology to the Indian industry.
Here is taking a look at these New Age Entrepreneurs who have the potential to become
one of the big names of the industryâ&#x20AC;Ś

January 2013 - MMT

93

NEW AGE ENTREPRENEURS
Kumar Ramachandra - Wintegral Engineering

“

9 out of 10 new ideas

fail, but that 1

idea which works is

”

worth the trouble

…this is the mantra that Kumar Ramachandra, Founder &
Director, Wintegral Engineering Pvt Ltd, follows. An engineer
and a first-generation entrepreneur, Kumar describes himself
as a weather-beaten, battle-scarred entrepreneur who has
tried-failed-tried again and again and succeeded in the
numerous new ventures he has undertaken. Debarati Basu
Das in a tête-à-tête with him finds out about this obsession
that drives his passion towards his work.
Current Venture
I have been associated with the die
and mould industry for long, but this
is my first foray into the machine
tools industry. We repair and refurbish
damaged tools holders. While it may
sound simple, we are the only company
in India to do this kind of an operation.
Every tool has a life span and the tool
holders get damaged or suffer breakage.
The trend in the Indian industry is to
discard the damaged tool holders and
buy new ones. We came up with a
process to repair the tool holders and
remanufacture them to look exactly like
the original ones.

The Journey
I serendipitously came across this idea
when a tool and die customer came
to me with a damaged tool, which he
wanted to repair. He wanted me to do
the deposition on the tool so that he
could machine it.
We were originally into micro
dimensional welding for repair of
worn out moulds and we specialise in
redeposition of materials using special
deposition technology. This incident
gave birth to the idea of doing something
similar for toolholders, which is a much
94

MMT - January 2013

bigger market than moulds. However, it
is easier to make new things than repair
them as we have to match them to the
original dimensions, physical properties
and performance.
I am always on the lookout for
something new. Of the 10 new things
that you try, 9 will fail. And that is the
reason why most people do not like
to try something new as it is easier to
copy and do a better job as well. But
for me, that one new idea which works
is good enough to keep me going for a
long time.
I came across the market of repairing
damaged toolholders around two years
back and we researched for over a year
to get the right technology in place for
the operation.

discarded can be repaired to the same
precision, it certainly has a severe cost
saving potential for the industry. This
is not an uncommon thing in the US
and Europe. I even know some lesser
known tool making companies abroad
who have authorised repair shops. With
the technology, we have gained the
competence to repair toolholders of any
big brand of any material given.

The Team
We were originally a group of 15 micro
welding experts. I took my ideas to
our technical director who has over 50
years of experience in the machine tools
industry. Although there were a lot of
ups and downs in our research phase,
we finally struck the right technology.

Competition and Potential

The Hurdles

It has only been five months since
we commercialised it and started our
operation and we are already working
with KTTM, which is currently our
major customer. We have also bagged
one assignment from the Ace Group
and have numerous projects from various
SMEs. The market has toolholders
within the ranges of `3,000 to `3 lakh
and more. If toolholders that are simply

The only thing limiting our growth
right now is manpower. But we
are just five months old and we are
working towards building a bigger
team. In this line of work, skill and
manpower are more important as there
is a lot of training involved and this is
the challenge.
debarati.basu@network18publishing.com

NEW AGE ENTREPRENEURS
Vineet Dravid - COMSOL Multiphysics

“ questions”

The industry needs
people who ask

…is what Vineet Dravid, Managing Director, COMSOL
Multiphysics Pvt Ltd, feels. A young researcher himself,
Dravid completed his PhD from Purdue University in
2006 and specialises in Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD). He has played an integral part in familiarising
Indian companies with New Age technologies. Debarati
Basu Das takes us through his journey and thoughts
about the industry’s growth.
The Venture
COMSOL Multi Physics is a software
that can model different physical
phenomena and combine them to get a
solution for a problem. This software is
used in the product design phase where
you need to understand how the product
will behave in a real life situation. It
understands the different physics going
inside the product. All these physics are
interrelated and have to be accounted
for simultaneously. This is what the
software exactly does. This software has
a wide range of applications and is being
successfully used in applications right
from medical devices to aerospace.

Market Competition
We use a numerical technique called
the finite element analysis, which is
a commonly found Computer-aided
Engineering (CAE) software. However,
while there are many simulation
technologies, this software is different
because finite elements used across
all kinds of physics are involved in
the process. So, whether it is CFD,
electromagnetic, heat transfer, acoustics
or structure analysis, this software can
couple different physics easily. This
96

MMT - January 2013

process makes it difficult to achieve the
same results in other software.
Also, this software has a diversified
application. It can be used in making
complex medical devices, consumer
goods, packaging, automobile and
nuclear industries, among others. Also,
in the various structural analyses, this
software can be used to analyse fatigue,
material erosion, life of a component,
etc. Prototyping is an expensive process
in terms of time and money. COMSOL
Multi Physics helps to design it in the
computer to see how it behaves. This
software expedites the whole product
development cycle. For instance, in the
aerospace industry, there is a software
for a very high-end application to create
materials that cannot be detected by
radars in fighter planes. Such materials
are called meta materials and many
companies have used our software to
generate such materials, which makes
the aircraft transparent for radars. This
software acts as a bridge between CAD
operations and manufacturing, thus, in
turn, optimising the result achieved.

and there is a genuine and sincere effort
by Indian companies to integrate research
and development in their business. They
realise that research is necessary to sustain
themselves in the long term. This is the
reason that such kinds of ventures with
new technologies are being promoted
and encouraged. In fact, not only Indian
companies but also many institutes have
showed their interest in the technology.
For instance, an Indore-based engineering
institute has also used this software to
make a medical device that detects the
amount of glucose without the need to
inject a needle into the body. This shows
the acceptance of the software not just
among industries but also educational
institutes. We have been in the Indian
industry for just three years, during which
we have seen the focus of the industry
change towards better opportunities
and results. We are just adding to this
momentum that the industry has found.
We, as a company, like to work with
people who are innovative, curious, ask
the right questions, want to explore
and strive to get to the bottom of the
problems and find solutions.

Market Acceptance
The industry is the product of the society

debarati.basu@network18publishing.com

NEW AGE ENTREPRENEURS
Anil Kumar - Involute Automation

“

Indigenous
development has

”

been our strength

... points out Anil Kumar, Managing Director,
Involute Automation Pvt Ltd. A mechanical engineer,
Kumar was an apprentice at HMT and finds his
forte in designing. Debarati Basu Das talks to this
young entrepreneur to understand the nuances of
handling a business operation with finesse.
Current Venture
We provide customised automated
solutions with a specific focus on the
foundry sector in India. Since the last
two-and-a-half years, we have been
working on a project of automated
fettling. In foundry operation, the
metal is melted and poured into a die
and the casting is formed. However, in
between machining and casting, there
is a process called fettling. There is lot
of unwanted material in the casting,
which is normally removed manually
by pressing this casting against belts
and grinding wheels. This involves a
lot of effort as it is a manually intensive
process. This process is also hazardous
as the chips and metal particles in
the air can damage the lungs of
the operators.
Worldwide, there are very few
companies that can develop automated
solutions for the fettling process. In
India, the foundry itself is a labour
intensive segment and automation of
foundry processes is in a very nascent
stage. On the other hand, automating
in foundry is tricky as the environment
is not very conducive and any kind of
sophistication in the machine has to be
guarded with environmental protection.
All this makes automation technology
in the foundry a very complicated
and complex process. In European

98

MMT - January 2013

Union and North America, 50–60% of
the work gets done using automated
solutions. Ours is the only company in
India that exclusively caters to foundry
automation solutions.

the foundry where there are hazards.
We are a small company of just 40
people and this particular development
is taken care of by a team of five people.

The Hurdles
How it Works?
Any automation requires a programmed
movement. In castings, the unwanted
materials and irregularities may not
be found in the same place always.
There is a lot of inconsistency in
castings depending on the variety of
castings and different shapes. Since
we cannot have different programmes
for different castings, we have devised
our automation using robotic solutions
along with an SPM. This makes the
machine more flexible to adapt to
different conditions.

Generating an Idea
Our business is to find solutions in
areas where the process is hazardous
and inconvenient for human beings.
Foundry is a manpower-centric industry
wherein manual operations are preferred
to cut down the cost. But lately, since
manual operations do not ensure
consistency in quality, people have
started moving towards automation.
Indigenous development has been our
strength since we started. So, we keep
looking for such areas of operation in

The demand is huge but the kind of
technology we are using today is so
sophisticated that only few people can
afford it. Our aim now is to make
the technology affordable for Indian
customers. With UNIDO’s help, we
have entered a technical collaboration
with a German research institute called
Steinbeis. In the next six months, we
will get further technological inputs
from them to cut down the cost.
The other limitation that we are
facing is that of technology assimilation.
Initially, when the project was
introduced, very few people understood
the technology. So, we started a user
interface explaining how a user interacts
with machines. We have made this
process simple but we still have to
work on it. We also have a training
division wherein we train 70 entry level
technicians, but by March 2013, we
are increasing our capacity to train 300
technicians and are in the process of
creating a facility to train engineers in
robotic automation.
debarati.basu@network18publishing.com

NEW AGE ENTREPRENEURS
Rupesh Mehta - Macpower CNC Machines

“

Enjoy Your
Work Like a Sport

”

…is the only mantra that Rupesh Mehta, Managing
Director, Macpower CNC Machines Pvt Ltd, Rajkot,
follows. With an experience of more than 20 years in
the machine tools industry, Mehta, a first-generation
entrepreneur, made his company a leading CNC
machine manufacturer in India. Debarati Basu Das
finds out the business tactics of this Gujarati, which
have helped him achieve his targets.

Business Mantra
We are a CNC manufacturing
company and within a short period
of seven years, we have become one
of the fastest growing companies.
Today, Macpower CNC Machines
Pvt Ltd has a range of products such
as turning centres, vertical machining
centres, turn mill centres and moving
column machines.
Over the years, we have developed
and implemented the following strategies
to enable each employee perform the best
in the business.
Do it for once: Think about how
much time is spent on a particular issue
and how you can streamline it to be more
efficient while being effective.
Think differently: Macpower
believes in reaching new heights through
out-of-the-box thinking and our
positive lookout guides us towards
achieving success.
Quality that creates value:
Balance in efficiency and flexibility
is our biggest strength. We believe in
creating efficiency in productivity by
devoting significant efforts towards
achieving the highest level of quality and
flexibility in systems through
continuous improvement.

Management Technique
Over the years, we have generated our
100 MMT - January 2013

own business module, which helps us cut
down on cost. We control our inventory
and logistics, reduce the process time,
get proper feedback on our production,
ensure proper material planning and
process planning. Normally, the machine
tools industry requires 8–9 days to
complete one cycle of machines, but with
our business and production module, we
take half the time and manufacture the
machines within four days. We have our
own qualified training personnel who
train our employees in selling techniques,
negotiations, service issues, etc. We try
to bring uniqueness in our products
and build low-cost machines with
good features.

Challenges Faced
Our major challenge today is the
availability of skilled manpower. We look
forward to creating know-how in new
areas by building in-house technological
expertise and constantly working towards
this very goal.

Future Dynamics
Technology advancement:
We
work on different ways to adapt to
technological advancement. In short,
we are always on our toes to look
out for advancement, cutting-edge
technology, lead time reduction and
best output of products with minimum

Success Mantra
Our commitment is towards the research
and development of new products,
developing a culture to improve people
skill and talent, analyse our products and
service feedbacks, etc.
Our approach is to reach out to
our employees and go beyond the
conventional offering for responsibility,
security and salary. We create work
environments in which employees can
flourish. Quality and commitment of the
workforce make a significant contribution
to the company’s success.

Message to Budding Entrepreneurs
I always look for youngsters who
have the hunger and passion to achieve
something in life. No matter what
business you are in, enjoy your work
like a sport. Find a job you enjoy doing
and you will not have to work a day in
your life.
debarati.basu@network18publishing.com

NEW AGE ENTREPRENEURS
M Sreenivas - Four M Technologies

“

Machine building

”

is our passion

...is what the small team of Four M Technologies Pvt
Ltd believes in. M Sreenivas, Director – Marketing, is
an engineering graduate and a young hydraulics expert.
Along with M Sreeramulu, Director of the company and
an ex-HMTian with over three decades of experience
in the machine tools industry, he has been innovating
opportunities. Debarati Basu Das talks to them to find
out how this young SME turned the tables.
Current Venture
We are located in Cherlapally in
Hyderabad, which houses 60% of the
DTH mining bit manufacturing in
India. Major DTH bit manufacturers
were facing a peculiar problem where
they had to guarantee the life of the bits
at 1,500 feet of drilling. Any failure, and
the bit will have to be replaced free of
cost by the manufacturers.
We saw this problem as our
opportunity and developed a product
for the mining industry called the
Micro Aligned Press (MAP-20). This
machine is used in the mining sector
for pressing carbide buttons into the
mining bits and we have completely
revolutionised the process. We are
also the only company in India to
manufacture such a product.

How Does it Work?
In the conventional method, while
pressing, there was no clamping of
the fixture, the components or the
carbide buttons as the process needs
six degrees of freedom while aligning.
The no clamping method led to bell
mouth formation in the bore, resulting
in premature button failures.
In our process, we gave the freedom
102 MMT - January 2013

required and are locating the hole
within 10–15 microns (process known
as micro alignment of the hole). Once it
is micro aligned, the freedom is arrested
by hydraulically clamping the X&Y axis
table and the component in the fixture.
Even the button is guided within 10–15
microns so that there is no tilt while
pressing. Hence, all the axis shifts
are arrested and the pressing happens
with perfection—contradictory to the
conventional method.
While manufacturers had to
guarantee the life of the bits for 1,500
feet of drilling, the main point of
rejection was the carbide button failures.
We studied the process, changed the
concept of pressing, and live field
trials with MAP-20 have shown that
the bit can have a life even up to
5,000 feet. This is a drastic product
life improvement.
Today, most of the manufacturers
in Hyderabad are using our machine
and we are now looking at markets in
Bengaluru, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat
where the rest of the bore well bit
manufacturers are located.

being first-generation entrepreneurs, we
did not have the financial back up to get
into mass production or general purpose
machine manufacturing. This was our
biggest limitation. So, we worked upon
our strengths—designing and innovation.
We do not have a designated research
and development team, but we are three
people who are individually experts in
hydraulics, machine tools and designing.
We bring our expertise together and
follow our passion of machine building.
Our business mantra has been to target a
mass production area that has the scope
of productivity and quality improvement.
We saw this opportunity in Cherlapally
among bit manufacturers and gave it our
best shot. Our motto has always been
‘Quality and Productivity Improvement
Through Innovation in Manufacturing’
and we have been focusing our energy
in this direction. We have also come up
with another machine—a CNC hydro
slotting machine a year and a half back—
which is also a first-of-its-kind machine
in India to bring precision in the slotting
process of metal cutting operation. We
are expecting a good feedback from the
industry on this machine as well.

From Limitations to Strengths
We are a small team of just 18 people and

debarati.basu@network18publishing.com

Modern Machine Tools (January - 13) Hurco - Pg 103

Modern Machine Tools (Januaryr-13) Losma-Pg 104

M d

M

hi

T

l (J

13) Sh t

P 106

MMT January - 2013

Ad Name: Metrol Pg No. 107

MMT January - 2013 Ad Name: Birla Pg No. 108

MMT January- 2013 Ad Name: Birla Pg No. 109

MMT January- 2013 Ad Name: PTC Pg No. 110

MMT January- 2013 Ad Name: Form & Gears Pg No. 111

MMT January - 2013 Ad Name: PRSales Pg No.112

MMT January- 2013 Ad Name: PR Sales Pg No.113

MMT January - 2013 Ad Name: Instron Pg No. 114

Modern Machine Tools (January-13) Korber- Pg 115

Modern Machine Tools (January-13) SAP -Pg 116

SECTOR WATCH
122

Automotive
Transforming Industry Dynamics

130

Energy
Making India a ‘Power’ful Nation

124

Aerospace
On the Growth Radar

132

Electrical and Electronics
Developing a Sustainable Future

126

Die and Mould
Stepping up to Meet Future Demand

134

Consumer Durables
Coming out Stronger

128

Construction Equipment
An Era of Opportunities

120 MMT - January 2013

Making a Powerful
Metalworking Nation

I

t is said that machine tools is a totally demand-centric industry. If automobile, aerospace and
other engineering industries grow, machine tools will grow; if all these industries do not do well,
the demand for machine tools sharply goes down. Almost all the products that we see around us
have been touched by machine tools in the manufacturing process. The most prolific customers
for the machine tools industry are automobile, aerospace, energy, construction equipment, die
& mould, electrical and electronics and consumer goods industries, which are growing rapidly in India.
India is considered as a manufacturing hub and almost all big companies from these sectors have
made their presence felt in the country. India has become a hub for small car manufacturing; the
current offset policy for Indian defence, need for better infrastructure and the growing consumer
durables and electrical & electronics industries are the reasons behind the development of the Indian
machine tools industry.

Let us take a look at some of the machine tools industry’s biggest customers. According to
the statistics released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the cumulative
production data for April–March 2012 shows a production growth of 13.83% over the same period
last year. In March 2012, as compared to March 2011, production grew at a single-digit rate of
6.8%. According to the current offset policy for Indian defence, the company that gets a contract has
to source 30% of the components from Indian component providers. When it comes to the energy
sector, most of the demand comes from turbine manufacturers. According to Indian Wind Energy
Association (InWEA), the Indian wind energy sector has an installed capacity of 17,365.03 MW
(as on March 31, 2012). Another fruitful industry, which is generating a lot of demand for machine
tools, is construction equipment, and it plays a significant role in infrastructure. The future looks good
as the government has projected a whooping US$1-trillion investment in the infrastructure sector
during the 12th Plan Period (2012–17). For the electrical & electronics industry, The Indian Electrical
and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA), an industry association of manufacturers of
electrical, industrial electronics and allied equipment, has estimated US$100 billion worth sales of
electrical equipment by 2022.
All these industries have different machining requirements. While some industries demand heavy
load machining, some very demand high-precision complex machining. Nishant Kashyap analyses
seven biggest consumers of machine tools that drive the Indian metalworking sector. This section also
talks about the different machining requirements of these industries and solutions provided by machine
tools manufacturers. It will also talk about the current scenario, business dynamics and future prospects
of these industries in India.

January 2013 - MMT 121

SECTOR WATCH
Automotive

Transforming Industry Dynamics
Riding high on the auto boom, automotive machining is experiencing unprecedented demand and
growth. As automobile manufacturers gear up to meet rising demands, this industry has increased
the application of robotics to deliver quality products within the stipulated time.

T

he Indian automobile and
automotive parts industries
are currently flooded with
demand for all types of
vehicles, especially small
segment cars and two-wheelers.
However, this upward swing has
pressurised car manufacturers to deliver
quality products within a short span
of time. This, in turn, has generated a
domino effect on the manufacturers of
automotive machining as they have to
provide effective solutions to meet the
rising demand.

Current Status
The automobile industry is among the
fastest growing industries in India. New
launches, penetration levels and low
interest rates are the key factors behind
this growth. According to the statistics
released by the Society of Indian
Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the
cumulative production data for April–
March 2012 shows a production growth
of 13.83% over the same period last year.
In March 2012, as compared to March
2011, production grew at a single digit
rate of 6.8%. In 2011–12, the industry
produced 20,366,432 vehicles, of which
the share of two-wheelers, passenger
122 MMT - January 2013

High-precision Machining
Indian auto manufacturers are witnessing
increased demand in the domestic and
international markets. High-end precision
machining is required to attain the highest
degree of quality. If any variations need
to be made to the existing car models—
with certain variations to the current
assembly line—the required models can
be manufactured with minimal cost.
Recent trends indicate that for
machining auto components like cylinder
blocks and cylinder heads, production
is usually carried out using appropriate
size of machining centres, turning
centres with adequate auto tool changers
and auto pallet changers. Sometimes, a
dedicated machining line equipped with a
tool presetter in the process measurement
probe with the required fixtures and
toolings forms the criterion for the
selection of equipment for the required
volume of production.

the automotive manufacturing concepts
in the global market. Enhanced
productivity, world-class quality and
superior finish can be achieved through
improved machining, state-of-the-art
automation, etc. Automobile component
manufacturers need to consistently deliver
quality products at a limited cost and
within a stipulated time. With the help of
high-speed machining and sophisticated
software, manufacturers are now able
to machine complex shapes within the
above parameters.
The automobile industry accounts for
60% of the machine tools consumption.
Thus, not only are domestic sales
expected to grow dramatically, India will
also play a significant role in the global
automotive market. The world’s top car
manufacturers have established their
manufacturing base in the country to not
only capture the emerging Indian market
but also use it as an export hub to serve the
global market. The future of the Indian
machine tools industry looks bright and
is poised to be more productive, efficient
and cost-competitive to cater to the
most promising and biggest customers
of the industry.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

SECTOR WATCH
Aerospace

On the Growth Radar
With a plethora of aviation companies strengthening their base in India, global expectations from
the Indian industry and the competition in this segment are increasing. The history of automotive
success is sure to be repeated at a much higher scale in the aerospace sector. The time is ripe for
machine tools manufacturers to focus on the aerospace industry.

W

hile companies like
Boeing, Lockheed
Martin and Airbus
are clamouring to set
up base in the country
apart from Indian conglomerates
such as Tata, Mahindra and Hinduja
Group, the time is ripe for Indian
manufacturers to cater to the giants of this
booming industry.

Aerospace Components
With the increase in production of
aircraft, aerospace manufacturers
need to consistently deliver quality
products at a limited cost and within
a stipulated time. With the help of
high speed machining and sophisticated
software, manufacturers are able to
machine complex shapes within the
above parameters. According to KSV
Raghav, Managing Director, Raghav
Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies
Pvt Ltd, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Aerospace machining is a
high profile industry and is involved in
the machining and manufacturing of
precision components/parts, which are
critical and high precision in nature,
with close geometrical tolerances
from bar stocks, billets, forgings and
castings required for building aircraft,
124 MMT - January 2013

helicopters, rockets, etc., that operate in
space or outer space.â&#x20AC;?
The exacting standards of aerospace
machining make it compulsory for
manufacturers to machine each part with
exact precision. While the cost of scrap is
rising higher than ever, minimising waste
has become more important. Aerospace
components continually suffer extremes
of temperature, pressure & velocity, and
are often in service for many decades.
They are often constructed from difficultto-machine materials such as titanium,
invar or exotic plastics.

High-precision Technologies
The aerospace industry across the
world is influenced by globalisation,
changing economic environment and
ever-changing demand. It relies heavily
on high-end precision technologies,
latest software, robots and sensor
technologies. Currently, the automation
employed in aerospace machine shops is
more reliable, reduces human errors and
provides better speed.
While aircraft are produced at faster
rates, suppliers and manufacturers of
aircraft accessories must continue to
balance increased efficiency with quality
and innovation. Modern technologies

Business Outlook
As India strengthens its hold on the
global aerospace domain, local population
of more than a billion, coupled with a
robust annual economic growth rate, will
be the key drivers that will consistently
boost demand for new aircraft. The rise
of aerospace industry in the country
has positively affected the aerospace
component manufacturing industries
such as machine tools, metalworking and
electronics industries. SEZs, government
bodies and major Indian manufacturers
such as Tata and M&M have tilted
the scale in favour of Indian aerospace
component manufacturers.
The aerospace machining industry
is growing steadily, driven by demand
for both commercial and defence
purposes, and Indian manufacturers
are all set to leverage this demand and
convert the challenges into profitable
business opportunities.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

SECTOR WATCH
Die and Mould

Stepping up to Meet Future Demand
Changing customer expectations and rapid model changes require a fast turnaround in the
manufacturing of die and moulds. Currently, the market demands features like ability to react to
frequent product changes, shorter production runs, lower inventory levels and higher productivity.
The die and mould industry in India has evolved with the changing times and is committed to deliver
timely productivity.

T

he Indian mould making
industry is growing at a
steady rate, but mould
makers
believe
that
technological development
is possible only when end applications
of moulding technologies expand. The
common belief is that the moulding
industry should demand high-end
moulds for better quality of products,
and be ready to invest in expensive yet
cost-efficient equipment. The industry
players believe that India can compete
with the best in the world in terms of
technology and innovation, provided the
moulding industry cooperates with them
in this endeavour.

High-speed Machining and
Automation
Today, mould manufacturers need
to develop mould designs that are
more accurate, save time and improve
profitability. With newly developed
software solutions, not only does
one have the ability to define mould
geometry, but one can also have access to
a wide range of automated mould design
tools. In an increasingly competitive
126 MMT - January 2013

mould making market, customers
can demand shorter lead times and
reduced pricing. Mould developers do
not have the option of cutting corners
in the design process to reduce prices
and shorten lead times. Therefore, the
manufacturer must ensure that the
mould produces parts that meet the
customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exacting geometrical and
mechanical specifications. Often, one
must also incur the cost of any necessary
changes if the mould does not work
right the first time.

Future Trends
The list of opportunities to be explored
by mould makers and processors is
endless. Mould makers are taking the
initiative to develop new moulding
technologies, which would facilitate
the overall growth of the machine
tools industry. Developments in mould
manufacturing are gaining importance
in India, and the industry is waking
up to this challenge. Companies are
developing aluminium die-casting
moulds that give precise finishing for
specific applications, which cannot be
done manually.

Prospects Ahead
Driven by domestic demand and the cost
efficiency advantage of India, the die
and mould industry is expected to grow
considerably and consequently generate
stronger demand for advanced processing
equipment, software, systems and cutting
tools. According to the figures compiled
by TAGMA, the size of the tooling
market in India is around `19,100 crore
for 2012 and is growing at the rate of
around 20%. The demand for tooling will
certainly increase in the coming years.
Plastic moulds and sheet metal dies will
lead the pack followed by jigs, fixtures,
gauges, casting dies and forging dies.
Despite the uncertainty in the
global market, Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s die and mould
industry has maintained its growth
momentum and its status as one of the
worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top consumers and importers
of machine tools equipment. Although
the country has become proactive in
the procurement of foreign and private
capital, the prospects of the Indian die
and mould industry still have room for
further development.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

SECTOR WATCH
Construction Equipment

An Era of Opportunities
With the government projecting a whooping US$1-trillion investment in the infrastructure sector
during the 12th Plan Period (2012–17), several foreign firms are planning to enter the Indian market.
This will certainly make the Indian machine tools builders more competitive and adopt international
standards in their production process.

I

nfrastructure is an important
component for the industrial and
overall economic development
of a nation. It is considered
as the yardstick to measure
the investment viability of a nation.
However, in India, there is a wide
gap between the potential demand for
infrastructure and its available supply.
To minimise this gap, an investment of
around US$445 billion is required over
the next five years, which will directly
affect the overall business dynamics of
construction equipment manufacturers.
The industry will also have to grow at a
CAGR of 15% over the next five years
to support the growing requirements of
every sector of the economy.

Indian Construction Industry
Considering the present industrial
growth, industries working for railways,
power sectors and construction
machinery are doing extremely well.
Companies like BHEL, L&T-MHI
and Siemens are finding it difficult to
cope with the orders in hand. To cater to
these demands, they are investing in new
technologies to reduce the machining
time of the components. According
to market research firm RNCOS, the
128 MMT - January 2013

Indian construction equipment industry
has been consistently witnessing
double-digit growth over the past few
years. The earth-moving segment, in
particular, has been driving the overall
construction equipment industry in
India, with strong demand emanating
from government-backed infrastructure
projects. The segment is poised to
register a remarkable CAGR of around
21% during 2011–15, as per estimates.

Metalworking Opportunity
Globalisation has forced companies to
use modern manufacturing methods.
Technology has increasingly altered the
manufacturing process of construction
equipment. Also, the increasing
number of infrastructure projects in
the country has created huge demand
for machine tools builders. The
machine tools manufacturers in India
produce general purpose machinery
of international standards in terms
of quality, precision and reliability.
However, they lag behind in terms of
design and engineering capability. As a
result, they are not able to manufacture
very high precision CNC machines. As
far as the competition from other Asian
countries is concerned, industry experts

believe that Indian machine builders
can compete with them in terms of
technology and knowledge, easily
manufacture cost-effective products
and provide good service. According to
Pranav P Deshpande, Manager - Sales
& Marketing, Danobat India “Looking
at fast growing infrastructure sector, the
steel/ plates/ profiles/ pipes and square
tubes all are being used more and more
in Construction Industry. Globally
India is getting ready to absorb latest,
faster technologies and thus we expect
to catch up with world soon.”

Future Trends
As of now, the Indian machine
tools sector is not very demanding.
However, growth in construction
equipment, including small component
manufacturers who are sub-suppliers
to major infrastructure projects, will
create huge demand for machine tools.
Moreover, India is gradually becoming
a manufacturing hub for all the major
industries worldwide. This will also
lead to an increased demand creation
in the Indian machine tools sector in
the near future.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

SECTOR WATCH
Energy

Making India a ‘Power’ful nation
Various modes of energy producers like wind, solar and nuclear are witnessing a huge demand in
India and are planning to increase their capacity. Now, the time has come for Indian machine tools
builders to grab the growing opportunities and make the most of them.

I

ndia’s enormous potential
for energy production and
consumption has enhanced
investment prospects in this field.
The opening up of this sector
to global players has created numerous
opportunities for investments. The key
demand driver for the energy industry is
rapid growth in the manufacturing sector
and robust residential consumption. The
recent shift in dependence on renewable
energy sources offers economic, social
and environmental benefits.

Demand Trends
The energy sector, especially wind
turbine and solar energy, demands high
precision complex machining as well
as heavy duty large parts machining.
The drive to search for new ways to
efficiently generate and capture energy
requires constant innovation by job
shops that manufacture parts for the
energy industry. One thing that never
changes is the need for precise, rugged
parts that will perform in the toughest
conditions—day in and day out.
The robust construction of New
Age machines makes them highly
suitable for energy industry parts
130 MMT - January 2013

manufacturing. It contributes to highly
accurate dimensions and superior
surface finishes. Latest machine tools
technologies deliver more uptime
and require less maintenance even
in
the
most
demanding
manufacturing environments.

Machining Solutions
Manufacturing wind turbines requires
various kinds of machining techniques.
Large wind turbine components often
require hundreds of hours of precision
machining that include boring, milling,
drilling, tapping and turning.
When it comes to processing
massive wind turbine components,
shops primarily use horizontal boring
mills, vertical turning centres, horizontal
or universal machining centres and
horizontal turning centres. But regardless
of the type of machine used, those
with multitasking capabilities eliminate
error stack up from part transfers and
provide one-stop processing for lean
manufacturing of turbine parts.

Machine Tools Applicability
Renewable Energy (RE) is now making
a noticeable impact, especially in the

lives of the rural masses. Simultaneously,
its use for urban and semi-urban
applications is also growing by the day.
The Indian RE programme was among
the first few such programmes to shape
up globally. Since then, it has assumed
a respectable market leadership position
in a few areas. Solar energy products
like solar panels are now widely being
used in India and other parts of the
world.
As many global players have
made their presence felt in India,
machine tools leaders have also set up
their base in the country to monitor
customers’ needs in better ways and
respond faster. According to Indian
Wind Energy Association (InWEA),
the Indian wind energy sector has an
installed capacity of 17,365.03 MW
(as on March 31, 2012). In terms of
wind power installed capacity, India
ranks 5th in the world. Today, India
is a major player in the global wind
energy market and its growth in the
energy sector will certainly create huge
business opportunities for machine
tools builders in the countries.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

SECTOR WATCH
Electrical and Electronics

Developing a Sustainable Future
The coming decade will witness the emergence of Indian electrical and electronics arena in the
global domain. This industry is set to generate business for machine tools builders. Now, machine
tools manufacturers need to shift their focus from serving just the automobile segment to working
with electrical and electronics as well.

T

he domestic electrical
equipment manufacturing
industry clocked a healthy
growth during 2011–12 and
the industry is further looking
to expand its business as many global
players have set up their base in India.
The Indian Electrical and Electronics
Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA),
an industry association of manufacturers
of electrical, industrial electronics and
allied equipment, has estimated US$100
billion worth sales of electrical equipment
by 2022.

Industry Overview
India’s electrical equipment industry
is highly diverse and manufactures a
wide range of high and low technology
products. The industry size is estimated
at `110,000 crore (US$25 billion) in
2010–11. The industry directly employs
around five lakh people and provides
indirect employment to another 10 lakh
people. The investment required for the
12th Five Year Plan in the generation
and Transmission and Distribution
(T&D) segments is expected to be
US$85 billion in generation, US$45
billion in transmission and US$70 billion
132 MMT - January 2013

in distribution.
Based on investment estimates and
capacity addition targets, it is expected
that the domestic demand for generation
equipment—Boiler Turbine Generator
(BTG)—will be in the range of US$25–
30 billion by 2022, while that of the T&D
equipment industry will be US$70–75
billion.

Machining Solutions
The electrical and electronics industry
demand for high-precision complex parts
to very heavy power generation equipment
such as boilers and transformers. Laser
cutting, laser marking, EDM, plasma
cutting and sophisticated CMMs
are being mostly used in this industry
for small parts machining. For large
parts, usually, CNC turning, CNC
boring, machining centre, sheet metal
cutting and CNC milling machine have
been applied.

The Way Ahead
Today, the imports of electrical equipment
are much higher than exports, more so
in BTG equipment. Lack of adequate
capacity in the BTG equipment industry
segment is one of the major reasons for

the higher share of imports. Presently,
Indian exports of electrical equipment are
less than 1% of the global trade. With
the electricity sector being a sunrise sector
across the entire developing world, there
also exists a significant export potential
for the domestic industry.
Furthermore, the industry is likely to
witness overcapacity in the medium term
as far as domestic demand is concerned.
Exports would therefore need to play an
increasingly important role in helping
combat this issue. Although India’s T&D
equipment segment is currently operating
below its optimal capacity levels, it is well
geared to meet the growing demand for
T&D equipment.
The vision for the country’s electrical
equipment industry takes into account
the import-export scenario and what the
industry can achieve, based on its current
position and future plans. Balancing
exports and imports would help the
industry achieve its vision. The focus
should be on ensuring that any market
share ceded to foreign players is offset by
capturing additional market share in the
global markets.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

SECTOR WATCH
Consumer Durables

Coming out Stronger
Broadly classified into white and brown goods, the consumer durables industry, as a whole, is
booming in the Indian market. The industry has taken a huge leap over the last decade and is still
expected to grow at a considerable rate. The customer base is also ready to accept innovations. Now,
the machine tools industry has to respond.

T

he consumer durables
industry is growing stronger
by the day and is expected
to generate considerable
demand in the future as
well. However, in terms of basic tool
making or product development, this
industry is dominated by global market
leaders like Samsung, Nokia, Sony and
LG, among others.

Industry Overview
For the global market, India is
undoubtedly one of the largest
consumer bases. The transition in
the lifestyle of the common man has
come in as an impetus for the Indian
populace to accept global brands and
technology. The industry size
for consumer durables stands at
`350 billion (as of March 2012).
The sector rides and relies on the
state of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy. With
household incomes in the top 20 cities
across India expected to grow at 10%
annually over the next eight years,
the consumer durable sector has huge
scope to grow.
134 MMT - January 2013

Machining Complexity
The machine tools industry looks at
the machining requirements of highend products like mobile phones,
LCD TVs and digital cameras where
the complexity of the parts is higher.
Moulds of these products themselves
are complex and require high perfection,
surface finish and high-end technology.
Any new model or product survives
in this industry for not more than six
months. Therefore, the challenge for
this industry is to have a good design
house and a good back-end tool
room support, which can churn out
new designs continuously on a steady
basis. The Indian tooling industry is
yet to catch up with the global level
of competency in terms of design and
delivering high-end tools.

Indian Machine Tools Market
With more and more foreign brands
coming into the country, the Indian
machine tools industry should invariably
benefit from the surge. However, that
has not been the case. Although the IT
industry has proven its mettle in the

segment, the machine tools industry
is still trying to bargain a bigger piece
of pie in market growth. While most
of the foreign-made brands find it
convenient to have their own service
centres in India, they still hesitate to
shift their tool room activities to India.
The home-grown companies still largely
depend on importing the moulds for
their production.
However, with the steady growth
of home-grown companies and the
change in the attitude of manufacturers
in this sector, the Indian machine
tools industry remains optimistic about
making it big in the upcoming years.
The Indian machine tools industry is
equipped for the surging demand but
consumer durables manufacturers have
to depend on them and lower the
imports. The demand in this industry
is ever growing and if a home-grown
brand has to cater to this demand, it
will have to take efforts to meet the
challenges from foreign brands and
reach their standards.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

MANAGEMENT GURUS

140

Arun Wakhlu
True Purpose leads to Prosperity

142

Girish V Datar
Profit through People

144

Michael Bremer
Optimise Time through Communication

138 MMT - January 2013

Communication, Respect, Healing...
Good Enough for Growth?

E

arl of Chesterfield once said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is an undoubted truth that the less one has to do, the less time one finds to do
it in.â&#x20AC;? However, is this really true? Streamlining processes, increasing productivity without losing out on quality,
increasing profit and, more importantly, increasing the market share is what the industry wants. But achieving this
is not as easy as it seems. Why do most companies remain exactly where they started out despite using productivity
improvement technologies? Is it chance that makes some companies more successful than the rest? Nedra Pereira
interacts with three management gurus on what it is that makes some companies climb the ladder of success, while others
merely stand at the periphery.
Arun Wakhlu, Executive Coach and Master Facilitator, Pragati Leadership, provides insight on why every person should
first be treated as a unique individual rather than be expected to fill rolls that are stereotyped according to gender, caste or
family values. He believes that for an organisation to grow, the employees should be hired according to what they are good
at. A perfect fit ensures that the person is going to drive his own growth and hence the growth of the company. He says that
the main flaw lies in the society and that negativity bestowed by the society affects how we turn out to be; to grow, we must
heal ourselves completely. An organisation that cares about its people will always grow.
Girish Datar, Harada Expert, AlignStream, discusses why companies around the world and, moreover, in India should
stop chasing only monetary profits. He talks about the biggest mistakes companies make and the repercussions of their line
of thinking and how a change in the mindset and encouraging people to be the best can ensure productivity and profits for
the company. He also tells us why dignity of labour and respect for people play important roles in the overall growth of a
company and the society. He also talks about how we, as human beings, have somewhere lost the basic values of thinking
of others before ourselves.
Michael Bremer, Vice President, The Cumberland Group â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chicago, with his vast experience in business process
redesign, Six Sigma, Kaizen/Lean methods, post-ERP business process performance improvement (financial and operational),
project team development, lean accounting and continuous improvement, talks about the most common mistakes made by
companies, why progress does not seem to be happening and why companies end up going 10 steps back after taking 5 steps
ahead. He also talks about how effective and honest communication can help the company grow in the long run and why it
is important to have short-term and long-term plans in achieving goals.

January 2013 - MMT 139

MANAGEMENT GURUS
Arun Wakhlu - Pragati Leadership

True

Purpose

leads to

Prosperity
Arun
Wakhlu,
Pragati
Leadership, is a facilitator
in the area of individual,
organisational and social
transformation. His work is
based on a spiritual foundation
coupled with the use of
resonant tools and processes.
Join him as he talks to Nedra
Pereira about the holistic
approach to becoming the
best you can be.

What are your observations
on dissatisfaction in the work
environment?
One of the things I have been noticing
for years now is that the level of joy,
enthusiasm, energy and creativity in
organisations is usually not up to the
mark. Say if the working capacity is 100,
typically, people are working at 15, 8, 10
and so on. It is very rare to find people
working at their full potential and their
fullest capacities in terms of contribution,
creativity, application of effort,
productivity, consciousness and so on. I
have noticed this in my own work and
experiences with conventional work and
I found that I was not giving life the very
best I had. So, I started enquiring why
140 MMT - January 2013

does this happen, and one of the things
I understood was that people are often
not working as per their natural aptitude.
This is a very widely neglected area in
the schools and colleges of India. Right
from the word go, people are put into
roles that don’t suit them naturally; their
swadharma, aptitude and natural energy
are not present. Hence, in the beginning
of our work at Pragati Leadership, we
first set up a unit called the Good Work
Centre, with the aim to help young and
elderly people identify their aptitude,
life purpose and so on. So, I think that
this is a big area of disconnect and one
of the biggest reasons why productivity
is so less. You are meant to be a lotus
flower but your work, your role and your

environment want you to be a good rose.
Ultimately what happens is that we don’t
get a good lotus and we lose a good
rose. I once asked some Rotarians what
profession would they like their sons
to take—a sad MBA or an extremely
happy comedian—and the overwhelming
response was a sad MBA. But things
have changed a bit now as a lot more
people are working towards new avenues,
youngsters are becoming more conscious,
but the stance still remains one of the
biggest drawbacks to productivity.
Further, each individual is an infinite
reservoir of creativity and initiative. If you
look at children, they are full of energy,
enthusiasm and joy, and slowly this
starts getting overshadowed—like a bulb
starts getting covered with soot, which
makes it black, but beneath there is light.
What overshadows human beings is a
huge amount of negativity and layers of
judgement and negative beliefs embedded
in their minds. Because of this, there are
people who work at a fraction of their
potential; it’s like remaining unplugged

Arun Wakhlu - Pragati Leadership
despite there being power supply. The
power latent in each human being is so
potent for productivity, but people are
clueless about this. Also, there is absence
of a holistic view and holistic working,
which is a bottleneck to productivity.
So, cross fertilisation of ideas, multiple
perspectives and diversity are essential so
that a holistic understanding of life can
be achieved. This will, in turn, guide and
inform people’s actions.
There is no focus on speedy action.
People forget, they don’t repeat what
they have to learn and they forget what
they have learnt. Also, we are good at
nitpicking and don’t show appreciation.
In an organisation, instead of studying
the root causes of failure, one should
study the causes of success. We tend to
become overly critical; we have got to
become a bit more positive. For example,
in a company with 10,000 employees, it
is essential to identify who the jugnus are
and study what they are doing right and
appreciate it rather than nitpicking on
things. As is written in Bhagvad Gita,
awaken the latent capacities in human
beings and direct and channelise those
energies towards clear goals and you
will have true wealth, success, happiness
and firmness of policy. Make this your
path—the path of productivity. Joy is
the hallmark of excellence in any field.
Wherever you see excellence, you’ll
always find joy. If people are not happy
and engaged, forget about productivity.
Therefore, keep employees first and
customers second. Take care of your
people first, get people in the right jobs
and roles, give them space to function
freely and, most importantly, trust them.

After an employee has been
hired, is it the organisation’s
responsibility to see that the
employee is right for the role,
as job seekers may pass every
technical test given to them?
Basically, there are two ways to look at
it. One is to be deficiency-driven and
the other is to be abundance-inspired.
Deficiency-driven means that there is
not enough and I have to somehow earn
money even if I don’t enjoy what I’m

People are often not
working as per their
natural aptitude.
doing, so there is no escape. Such a belief
system leads to people’s lives actually
manifesting the same story. Another
thought is that if I enjoy and love what
I’m doing, I’ll find the right job and
attract more money. Usually, life pans out
exactly according to the story you have
in your head. To give you a metaphor,
if I tune into BBC, I’ll not get Vividh
Bharti, I’ll only get BBC. It’s the law of
attraction and power of your beliefs. You
have to believe that if I really give the
best to life, the best will come to me and
the best I can give is only when I work
with joy and aptitude. In fact, my own
experience tells me that only if you love
what you are doing will you start earning
substantially. You can’t be your best if you
are not enjoying what you are doing. The
paradox is that those people who don’t
think about money and enjoy themselves
in their work earn a lot of money; money
runs after them. So, people need to switch
over to the abundance-inspired attitude
and know that life wants them to be
happy and enjoy what they are doing. To
give your best to life, you have to be very
sure about the ‘why’ and ‘how’ in your life
and only then look at ‘what’. You have to
say happiness is who I am. Happiness is
joy and unbound peace and that is who
I am. From that space of wholeness and
abundance, I give life the best I have
and the material things will come. And
happiness is unconditional. This moment
is all you have; if you waste this moment,
you will have lost your chance to be happy.

How can employers add value
and make it better for themselves
as well as for the company?
Any good enlightened employer has to
first start serving his people, only then
can he get them to serve customers.
Non-violent communication, forgiveness,
healing relationships with each other
and their inner self will help them do

so. Once employees are more at peace
with themselves and with each other,
then they can start serving the customer
and delivering more value. If you don’t
heal the human side first, where are
you going to get the energy which you
can channelise towards value delivery to
customers? Leaders should understand
that if your tree has to flourish and
give fruits of productivity and growth,
you have to take care of the roots.
This can be done simultaneously by
having conversations.

Then, for a company to progress,
do leaders need to change their
thinking?
Yes. Leaders have to change their outlook
and understand this new paradigm. It’s
not a waste of time to let people talk to
each other; it enhances productivity eight
times, it enhances trust and engagement
and that leads to profits. Getting people
to understand the roots that they ignored
also goes a long way. Research shows how
trust and conversations actually lead to
profitability, productivity and financial
impact. Our approach to leadership is
wholesome leadership, which looks at the
whole system and the well-being of all.

Do you think that is all that it
would take them to be ahead of
their competitors?
Yes and no. Yes, because we trust the
collective intelligence of people to come
up with ideas. You just need to seed it
properly and give them the tools but
ultimately let them take the initiative
to make things happen. It should not
be a top down command and control
approach. Everyone should be a leader.
If you are passionate about something
and you want to make a difference, you
are a leader. But most organisations
don’t follow this and that’s why there
is productivity failure. There is also a
lot of ego in companies and no dignity
of labour. If these issues are addressed,
companies can take themselves
to the next level and be ahead of
their competitors.
nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

January 2013 - MMT 141

MANAGEMENT GURUS
Girish V Datar - AlignStream

Proﬁt

through People
We often see that most
companies only concentrate
on streamlining processes.
However, in today’s day
and
age,
more
needs
to
be
done.
Girish V Datar, Harada Expert,
AlignStream, talks to Nedra
Pereira about some of the
common mistakes companies
make and what they can do to
better their overall progress.

What, according to you, is the
biggest mistake companies make?
According to an official report, only
38% of the corporate people in globally
evolved countries are actually concerned
about the well-being of other people.
In India, that percentage may be just
5%. Companies are focusing more on
short-term results instead of long-term
goals. Take for example the recession
that happened in 2007–08. American
banks lent money to people even when
those people did not have enough
security. The main idea was to get rich
quick, and the consequences were not
considered. These kinds of business
decisions that purely focus on making
money get one into trouble. According
to a factual article, the net worth of
billionaires in India is 18% of India’s
GDP, which is a very large number.
With a country like India, everyone
focuses on price, and this is observed
even with foreign companies setting
shop here. They consider India to be
the land of cheap labour, be it white or
blue collar. The business gained here
142 MMT - January 2013

is only because price matters. This
stops growth as the companies here
are constantly projecting themselves
as low cost. The next problem we see
are with business heads—all that irks

When you want to
improve productivity, you
have to engage people
who have a very holistic
way of understanding
the processes.

them is how to bring more profit and
caring about their people is merely lip
service. This is because greed is in our
psyche. Apart from growth and profit,
it is important to concentrate on the
biggest asset a company has—its
people. However, in India, there is no
dignity of labour because of which we
have a crisis of character where people
do not care. So, the biggest mistake
people make is that they work for
money rather than the overall good of
the society.

What is it that needs to be
changed?
Business leaders need to have a different
approach to growing their business

Girish V Datar - AlignStream
and not just make it about the money.
Living in the 21st century, we have
more to deal with now—environmental
issues, terrorism issues—as compared
to the 20th century. We now need to
focus on innovation, which can only
be possible if you trust your people.
The big question here is that what is
the purpose of businesses? Is it just to
make money in the 21st century? Or is
it also to do with respect for people,
society and driving their excellence? If
you look at any leadership development
programme of companies, it will say,
‘Inspiring People’, but the impact will
be very minimal. Part of the problem
is Human Resource Development
(HRD); the ‘D’ is gone, it is all
administration. I know many managers
who say that the HR in their company
is only doing administration activities
like organising your setup, admin policy
and leave policy. From the HR point of
view, one has to think differently and
influence leadership, but I do not think
they are doing that from the employees’
perspective. As an employee, one has
only two avenues, namely, the HR and
business leadership. Unfortunately,
both are doing a poor job as the focus
is only on making money and it does
not serve the purpose of the society.
If there is no work orientation, people
are engaged and burnt out; the quality
of life suffers. In India, 78% of the
working people look at the next five
years as filled with suffering and
struggles. So, the productivity and sales
increase at the expense of the quality
of life, which is deteriorating. Who is
responsible for this? It is not the police
or the government; it’s the leadership.
If you believe in people, then you
can have a strong partnership and do
something right. I think HR does not
play a part in pushing company leaders
to do the right thing. Some companies
may do it the right way, but in totality,
it is not being practiced.

What would be a good way to
increase skill without much
monetary investment for SMEs?
Most

companies

use

tools

and

techniques like Lean Management and
Six Sigma, but at some point, there is a
need to train people. Basic level training
exists but more is needed. When you
want to improve productivity, you
have to engage people who have a
very holistic way of understanding the
processes. People should be hired after
proper screening so that the investment
made in them is wise. Companies can
either hire skilled people or train them
to keep up with the times. Defining
a goal and planning strategic actions
to achieve the goal is necessary. I
have a suggestion for companies to
save their training costs. Companies
spend universally on training. So, when
recruiting, one can have a dialogue
with the individual as to what his/her
goal is five or 10 years down the road.
He might give an answer that might
be part of the training you are going
to give him and you can save the costs
there. So, instead of giving routine
training to everyone without any
thought process, you could save money
by training only few people on few
things. Normally, HR makes a training
plan for the year based on the input
given by functional managers who are
not confident themselves. Using the
Harada method allows businesses to
see the best their employees have to
offer and take full advantage of this to
further their businesses.

Does HR only want to fill in
seats as they want to make it
worth the expenditure they incur
on hiring a trainer?
Yes. In India, the quality of consultants
is very poor, yet companies are trying
to get results from them. Leaders really
need to think about what they are good
at and what they want to achieve;
otherwise, growth is not possible. It
is important to introspect and have
one-on-one coaching with personnel
like CEOs and really get to know the
employee base and then work on the
actions required for a given goal.

What according to you is the
most important factor for growth

and productivity?
Respect! If you misbehave with people,
it is not going to help anyone. In India,
most people do not behave well with
their employees, but expect to get the
desired results. Another issue is that
people do not want to address the truth
as long as their business is going fine.
This creates the need to go back to our
basics of good character and respect
for people, which will drive good
behaviour and hence, business.

Food for Thought

Employees of truly successful
companies will be able
to describe why their
organisation is great in
less than 10 words without
beating around the bush
Look at your company in a
holistic manner instead of
thinking only about profit
and loss
The lesson is to respect
your people, appreciate their
uniqueness and help them
grow, which, in turn, will
lead to the progress of the
whole organisation
Build character based on
the true values i.e., working
for the good of the society
as opposed to thinking only
about oneself

Do you think employees should
give honest feedback to their
bosses without the fear of
endangering their jobs?
Yes, as long as business leaders have
an open mind and are willing to
accept criticism to improve. Leaders
need to connect with their people,
gain perspective and respect them.
This in itself will benefit them in the
long run.
nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

December 2012 - MMT 143

MANAGEMENT GURUS
Michael Bremer - The Cumberland Group

Optimise Time
through
Communication
Michael
Bremer,
Vice
President, The Cumberland
Group,
has
extensive
experience in business
process redesign, Six Sigma,
Kaizen/Lean
methods,
post-ERP business process
performance improvement
(financial and operational),
project team development,
lean
accounting
and
continuous improvement. He
shares some of his views in a
tĂŞte-Ă -tĂŞte with Nedra Pereira.
How did it all begin?
I wanted to change the world a little
bit. I had always wanted to write a book
that could help leadership teams make
major changes in their business. We had
a relationship with Motorola in Chicago
for about seven years and at that time, the
Six Sigma methodology was competing
with lean methodology. My mentor
at Motorola wanted to blend the two
methodologies. Then, we worked with
Motorola customers and suppliers using
both these methodologies. We wrote the
Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook that
dealt with lean leadership. In general,
organisations are run by people; they
might have cultural differences and so
on, but at work, they are quite similar. If
two or three companies are following the
same methodology, it is quite possible
that they are reading the same books or
working with the same consultants and
they will do things pretty much the same
way. So, part of the issue was that we all
got better but at the same rate, which
144 MMT - January 2013

led us to wonder why our competitive
position did not change. While I was
aware of its occurence, I was unsure why
it happened. We then wrote a second
book immediately after, but I did not get
to organise my thoughts clearly. After
researching the subject further for about
three and a half years, we ended defining
five ingredients that are necessary for
progress. And customer value trumps
everything.

According to you, what is the
biggest mistake people make
in line with trying to get ahead
of their competitors in order to
achieve productivity?
The biggest mistake people make is
realising how much they have to improve.
It is really hard to understand how many

improvement opportunities exist as we
all work so hard. It would not be so
hard if we all believe that we are doing
the right thing. When we think about
improvement, we tend to think about
incremental improvement of about 5% or
10% because thinking of 50% incremental
improvements means that one is doing
something wrong. Part of the challenge
is being brave enough to realise that you
are not doing something wrong, and that
you are doing the best you can. But there
are better ways to do it and you have to
be open to those possibilities.

So, are people underestimating
what they can do as they do not
know how to do it?
It is not that they do not know how to
do it. They do not realise that from the

Michael Bremer - The Cumberland Group
global perspective, there are others who
are doing it better. There is a need to
make a big leap and it can be sorted out
with small improvements. But the risk
of making only small improvements is
that you may never make that big leap to
introspect the changes to be implemented.
The problem is the disconnect
between how we run the business and
how we make improvements. The
easy thing to see in a manufacturing
company is that improvements can be
made on the shop floor because there is
a physical product; value adding can be
done using some simple analytical tools.
However, the management is responsible
for the overall running of the business
and it wants all these improvements
to happen and hopes that the results
of this improvement will improve the
business. But the problem is that most
improvements reduce waste and create
more free time. This time needs to be
utilised, but if the management team is
not sure about what they are strategically
trying to accomplish, the time gained is
not used optimally. Most of the times,
a new process is followed for a while,
but some days after we have implemented
the improvement, a crisis comes up and
because we are not doing something
proactive in the time we saved, the fastest
way for us to deal with the crisis is not to
operate the new way but to go back to the
old way. But then, a week later, another
crisis comes up. So, what happens is that
six months into the improvement plan
and we have lost 70% of the benefit and
drifted back to the old way. And part of
the reason is that we could not decide
what to do with that free time; the only
use that we found for it was drifting back
to the old way of operating.

What should a company look at
to analyse what it is doing wrong?
I think that it is fine for companies to
send their people to learn about the tools
and to implement improvement, but the
company should decide what they are
going to focus on for six months and then
make a decision on how to implement
the tools. The difference between the
companies that are highly effective and

those that do an average job of making
improvement is the engagement of the
leadership team. The leadership team
needs to learn because once they do, they
will be able to passionately embrace the
changes that need to be made. I suggest
that all the managers and chief executive
officers should first create a value stream
map for their business for a major
product family and get an understanding
within the organisation of how much
time is adding value and how much

Part of the challenge is
being brave enough to
realise that you are not
doing something wrong,
and that you are doing the
best you can.
time is not. Opportunities will appear in
the map. The leadership teams should
participate in making improvements by
using the opportunities that arise. When
they do that, they will be able to better
appreciate the talent of the people in
the organisation and realise how smart,
energetic and passionate their employees
are. Once this is realised, a sense of
appreciation of the improvement is
developed. Managers should be involved
from time to time in training people and
in improvement teams. It is fine to have
trainers and improvement experts who do
most of the work, but the leader should
do more than just coming in to do the
review. He should play a proactive role
in training. The managers cannot do this
because they are busy doing something
else and the managers feel that they are
focused on more important things with
the overall business and are looking
to delegate this improving process to
other people in their organisations. The
problem with managers is that they never
realise the extent of the waste and hence
employees should be able to come and
tell them about the waste.

What does a company need to do

to get that cutting edge for itself ?
We talked about improvements within
the organisation; the other thing that
the leadership team needs to do is to go
outside the organisation where they can
talk to their customers. So, if a leadership
team has four senior leaders—president,
people in charge of the operations, sales
and finance—they all should go out
and see how their customers use their
products and actually unpack the box to
understand how their current operations
impact their customers. Seeing how the
customer is doing things, the organisations
will be in a better position to talk to the
customer—not trying to sell anything
but rather understanding whether they
are facing any issues with the product.
This gives a deeper understanding of
the customers’ pain points and you can
transform these points into improvement
projects or use them in product
development. One thing that needs to be
considered is that the customer does not
care what improvement is done within
the organisation. The product concerns
the customer. And it has been observed
that an average organisation thinks
that it knows everything sitting inside
a conference room. It is not that the
organisation has never visited a customer,
but it does not have a deep insight to
begin making a difference. Spotting what
makes a difference to the customer will
give any organisation a cutting edge.

Any advice that you can give for
companies to get to higher levels
of competency?
Organisations need to remember that
they are not destined to remain small
companies and that their evolution
depends on themselves; internal pitting
of departments against each other is
not going to help. All departments in
the organisation need to support each
other to optimise overall growth. If we
begin to do the right thing and model
the right thing, we can get more people
inside trying to follow that model; the
organisation tends to be reflective of the
attitude that the leadership team has.
nedra.pereira@network18publishing.com

January 2013 - MMT 145

EXIM BOOST
Metalworking Industry

The Balancing Act
Ever since liberalisation in
1991, global giants turned to
India to expand their territory
in the manufacturing sector.
Although this led to heavy
investment in the metalworking
sector, it adversely affected
home-grown players. Today,
they are struggling to get a fair
share in the growing market
due to lack of investment and
the technology gap. Here are
some ways to get India’s EXIM
status for machine tools right.

W

hen it comes to
imports, India ranks
7th in the world, but
finds itself down
to the 27th position
when it comes to exports. According
to projection, machine tools exports
from India amounted to `1,802
million during 2011–12 as compared
to `1,358 million during 2010–11, thus
registering an annual growth rate of
33%. The imports in India amounted
to `76,454 million during 2011–12 as
it

From hands on experience
in Power Consulting
projects in Chhattisgarh to becoming
a Research Associate at IIT Bombay,
he has worked with both industry and
academia. MMT allows him to explore
and analyse the latest happenings in the
industry.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

146 MMT - January 2013

compared to `67,033 million during
2010–11, registering an annual growth
rate of 11%. All types of machines—
CNC, non-CNC, metal cutting, metal
forming, used and new—are imported
to India from various countries.
This figure clearly shows that EXIM
is not balanced in the Indian machine
tools industry. Indian companies need
to fill the gap between the amount of
imports and exports. If the balance is
not corrected immediately, many Indian
SMEs might get gobbled up by the
big players. Currently, China, Japan,
Germany, US and South Korea account
for more than 70% of the total machine
tools consumption worldwide; it would
be wise if Indian companies focus on
these countries. Currently, India is
doing most of its business with the
Middle East, South East Asian
countries and Africa; it is time now for

the country to enhance its presence in
more developed markets.

Encouraging Trade Policy
To support exports, the Indian
government has set up many industryfriendly policies. For instance, the
Scheme for Assistance to States for
Developing Export Infrastructure and
Allied Activities (ASIDE) has been
formulated to involve the states in
exports by providing assistance to the
state governments to create appropriate
infrastructure for the development
and growth of exports. Administered
by the Department of Commerce
(DoC), the objective of this scheme is
to establish a mechanism for involving
the state governments in the funding of
infrastructure critical for the growth of
exports by providing them with financial
assistance based on export performance.

Metalworking Industry
To further boost exports, the
government should look at the
policies of some of the developed
machine tools countries such as
Japan, Germany, Korea, Taiwan,
etc. The Indian government can
consider some of the policies that
these countries have structured in their
system such as setting up state-owned
laboratories, nationwide, to assist small
and medium businesses in adopting
NC technology, funding for R&D,
industrial organisations, institutional
infrastructure, encouraging exports and
setting up proper infrastructure, among
others. The government can also help
in nationalisation to promote successful
firms as role models in order to
create awareness of international
business opportunities.

With the country’s
automotive,
infrastructure, aerospace,
energy, consumer
durables and electronics
& electrical industries
surging forward, and
major global players in
these segments setting
up their facilities in
India, the country is
establishing itself as a
global manufacturing hub

Better Infrastructure Required
Being one of the fastest growing
economies in the world, India is
witnessing rising machine tools demand.
The growth has highlighted the need
for better infrastructure. However, we
are still struggling to develop proper
roads, ports and natural resources.
On the infrastructure front, there is a
huge shortfall in all the three aernas—
road, rail and port. This acts as a huge
opportunity for establishing several new
public/private partnership projects. To
trade with foreign companies, ports
become the key factor. But, the lack of
infrastructural facilities in Indian ports is
negatively affecting exports as the ports
are struggling to cope with commodity
traffic. Ports are unable to handle the
container and vessel traffic despite
a decline in economy and exports.
Though the manufacturing and factory
output rate has declined now, ports are
unable to handle the current traffic.
The delay at ports is affecting
international trade.

On the Technology Front
India is not far behind in terms of
technology. But when it comes to some
niche operations, complex machines,
high-precision cutting, etc., global
players lead the race. Major players

from the automobile, aerospace,
construction equipment, medical device
and electrical & electronics sectors
demand high technology and consider
machines from Japan, Germany, Italy,
South Korea and other developed
machine tools markets. It is high time
that India starts focusing on R&D;
the country needs to invest more and
more in technology upgrades. All
companies should devote some share of
their revenue to technology upgrades.
This warrants not only focusing on
product development but also adopting
sophisticated technology in the shop
floors of innovative product companies.

High Consumption Leading the
Industry
The metalworking industry has been
evolving rapidly in the recent years. It
requires the validation of manufacturing
processes right from the engineering
phase. In order to achieve the strict
targets to be delivered in a shorter time
to market, machine tools manufacturers
have to deploy state-of-the-art
metal technologies. The maximum
consumption of metal forming is in the
automotive and consumer appliance
industry, where large amounts of sheet
metal are used for forming processes

such as forging, stamping, etc. These
two industries have started growing
rapidly in India over the last few years.
The country is witnessing significant
growth with the manufacturing
sector clocking exceptional progress.
India is establishing itself as a
global manufacturing hub, with the
country’s automotive, infrastructure,
aerospace, energy, consumer durables
and electronics & electrical industries
surging forward, and major global
players in these segments setting
up their facilities in the country. In
addition, as manufacturers have to meet
the requirements of both domestic
as well as international markets,
machining techniques have undergone
a paradigm shift in the industry.
The high consumption base in the
country is a major reason for uneven
import-export balance. Because of high
demand, all global giants look at India
as a huge opportunity and have set up
base in the country. On the other side,
Indian companies are busy filling the
local demand and do not even think of
exporting their products.

Expansion: Need of The Hour
Capacity expansion is one of the
major factors that can enhance India’s
EXIM balance. Because of high local
consumption, many companies do
not think of increasing their volume.
Currently, the amount many of the
companies produce is being consumed
within the country. But to be a
global player, this thinking has to be
changed. Companies need to come
out of their ‘safe zone’ and accept the
global challenge. Indian companies
are specifically known for their costeffective products and have been
accepted by Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs), but big players
are yet to adopt Indian technology.
Apart from a few players, Indian
companies still have a lot of ground
to cover to match the global standards.
There are many global companies
functioning in India and these account
for around 70% of the local sales. If the
Indian companies do not increase their
January 2013 - MMT 147

Metalworking Industry
capacity or are not able to make an
impact in the market, sooner or later,
there are chances that they will not be
able to compete with major players.
Indian companies need to adopt latest
technologies in their system. They need
to automate their processes to boost
the volume, increase productivity and
provide better solutions.

Focus on Export: Do Not Settle
for Less
India has considerable machine tools
demand, which companies are not able to
cope with. The Indian industry is totally
dependent on global companies and
imports around 70% of the machine tools.
One of the biggest reasons for India’s
low export is that the country has a huge
consumption base that leaves companies
to focus on the local market. Low amount
of exports due to technology issues and
high local consumption impacts the
export status of any country.
Hence, every company should make
it imperative to export a percentage of

148 MMT - January 2013

production for export, which will help
increase the amount of exports. Increase
in exports will not only improve trade
relations with the said countries but will
also help in enhancing technological
know-how and boost business.

The Way Ahead
The Indian machine tools industry
manufactures a complete range of metal
cutting and metal forming machine tools.
Customised in nature, products from
the Indian basket comprise conventional
machine tools as well as CNC machines.
There are other variants offered by Indian
manufacturers, including special purpose
machines, robotics, handling systems,
and Total Productive Maintenance
(TPM)-friendly machines. Efforts
within the industry are now underway to
improve the features of CNC machines
and provide further value additions at
lower costs to meet specific requirements
of users. In keeping with the
current trends and emerging demand,
the CNC segment could be the

driver of the Indian machine tools
industry’s growth.
As per the Engineering Export
Promotion Council (EEPC) India—
an export promotion council of
engineering goods, projects and
services from India— the export of
machine tools in the year 2010–11 was
`1344.19 million with a growth rate
of 2.78% over the previous year. In
the same period, the overall export of
capital goods amounted to `102016.90
million with a growth rate of 34.03%
over the previous year. This data clearly
shows that the growth of machine tools
export is much less than India’s capital
goods’ growth rate. The country has
a huge demand for machine tools,
and it provides business opportunities
for new entrepreneurs and can prove
to be a prolific investment. All the
companies need to do is look beyond
India, compete with global companies
in the global market, come out of their
safe zones, increase their capacity and,
finally, focus more on exports.

COUNTRIES TO CONNECT
Japan

Italy

Trendsetter of Technology

Showcasing Trade Potential
154

South Korea

Taiwan

Generating a New Wave of Investment
156

China

A Competitive Edge
164

Germany

Age of the Dragon

Bond With The Best
158

US
On the Rise Again
160

152 MMT - January 2013

162

166

OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO
INTERNATIONAL TRADE

A

ccording to projections, the Indian machine tools industry ranks 13th in production, 7th
in consumption, 4th in import and 27th in export. These figures clearly highlight the
opportunities in India. This industry is growing with time; yet, it has a lot of ground
to cover before achieving a significant position in the global market. The availability of
skilled manpower provides the required thrust to propel India forward.
It is very simple—if India wants be part of the global competition, Indian companies
have to look at the global market. As the consumption is very high in India, companies are not giving
importance to export. Six countries—China, Germany, Japan, US, Korea and Italy—account for more
than 70% of the machine tools consumption. Currently, Indian companies are doing business in some
Eastern countries including the Middle East and African markets. It would be wise for India to focus
on these six countries as well.
In terms of the Indian metalworking industry, 70% of the machine tools are imported. Indian
companies are not able to satiate the local demand, which is why most of the machines are imported.
Another reason for increased imports is technology; although some Indian companies are introducing
fine solutions, there is still a long way to cover to compete with global giants. Since most of the
machines that come to India are from Japan and Germany, Indian component providers can find good
business partners in these countries for equipment and engineering goods. Indian component providers
have been very successful in the European and US markets, but SPMs have still not been accepted.
So, when the global economy is uncertain, Indian machine tools builders, with their cost-effective
products, can do successful business.
In this section, we highlight seven countries such as Germany, Japan, US, China, Italy, South
Korea and Taiwan, which have the most influence in the global machine tools arena. These seven
countries head the world machine tools ranking, be it in terms of production, consumption, export or
import. This section features market trends, uniqueness and future prospects of all the seven countries.
India has established itself to capitalise on the new opportunities in the global metalworking
industry due to low-cost manufacturing certification. Yet, the industry still has a long way to go to be
termed as ‘developed’ in all aspects. With customers slowly prioritising quality and technology over
price, the road to development seems smoother for the machine tools industry. In this section, Nishant
Kashyap looks at trade relations with particular countries, focusing on the opportunities that India can
optimise on and threats that it should be aware of.

January 2013 - MMT 153

COUNTRIES TO CONNECT
Japan

Trendsetter of Technology
Japan-made machines are known in the global machine tools industry for their high-end
technology and NC control systems. As optimism grows in global manufacturing, Japan is
making significant investments in technology and innovation to regain its global ranking
in the industry.

P

ost-World War II and during
the period of rapid economic
growth between 1956–1973,
the Japanese economy was
primarily driven by swift
growth in heavy industry and chemicals,
namely, steel, chemicals, heavy electric
equipments and shipbuilding. From
1974–1990, the focus switched to
automobiles, light electrics and the
processing & assembly industries. The
economic growth resulted in huge
machine tools demand, which helped
machine tools companies to stay ahead
in the competition.

Japanese Excellence
The Japanese machine tools industry has
emerged as a leader and has successfully
survived the highs and lows of the
industry. Despite global competition,
six Japanese firms still rank among the
top 10 manufacturers of the world.
Japan is a leading producer of metal
cutting machinery. Japanese firms
have successfully capitalised on export
opportunities. The country currently
tops in the list of machine tools exports.
Japan pioneered the connect between
numeric control and machine tools,
154 MMT - January 2013

which enabled it to surpass Europe and
US in terms of production.
Today, businesses in Japan’s machine
tools industry are striving for continuous
innovation even in a challenging
economic environment, while focusing on
the development of high-quality human
resources. Today, every company is
striving to improve precision, efficiency,
operability and energy-saving features of
its products.

Market Trends
The 2012 World Machine Tool Output
& Consumption Survey by Gardner
Publication, Inc in 2011 says that due to
overseas demand, production recovered
up to US$18,353.1 million, an increase
by 53% from the previous year. In terms
of consumption, the country ranked
second and accounted for US$7,620.5
million, an increase by 56%. In terms of
export and import, the country accounted
for US$11,380.6 million and US$648.0
million, respectively.
However, recently published data
from Japan Machine Tool Builders’
Association shows a decline in machine
tools orders. As per the report, machine
tools orders received by domestic

Why Japan?

Strong trade relations
Huge consumer base
High-end technology

manufacturers in November fell 21.3%
in the same month a year ago to ¥88.17
billion, slipping below ¥90 billion for the
first time in 25 months. Japan’s machine
tools industry, in particular, has boasted
of the greatest share globally since 1982,
and its share has been exceptionally high.

Relations with India
Japanese technologies have been accepted
worldwide and India is not an exception.
Japanese companies have been doing
business in India for a long time and
have got huge success in the country.
When it comes to technology, Indian
manufacturers have shown their faith in
Japanese machines more than any other
country. In future, the manufacturing
sectors in both the countries will
continuously create business for
manufacturers and will keep the trade
relations strong.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

COUNTRIES TO CONNECT
South Korea

Generating a New Wave of Investment
The Korean machine tools industry is weathering stormy business conditions arising from the
Eurozone economic crisis. However, armed with creative innovation, Korean machine builders
are geared to overcome the difficult tide with the firm belief that it will provide momentum for a
new take-off.

T

he machine tools industry in
South Korea has regularly
upgraded its level of technology,
and manufacturers in the
country are now competing
successfully in the world market in terms
of innovative technologies and product
range. Korea ranks fifth in production,
seventh in export and fifth in import of
machine tools.

Opportunities & Threats
Growth Accelerator
According to Korean Machine Tools
Manufacturers’ Association (KOMMA),
the machine tools production in January–
June 2012 was about ₩1.81 trillion, up
3.6% year-on-year, while shipments also
rose 10.3% to about ₩2.01 trillion. In
terms of production by item, the yearon-year growth in orders was realised
for NC cutting machines (about
₩1.56 trillion, 7.8%) and general
purpose cutting machines (₩71.7
billion, 35.1%). But orders for metal
forming machines decreased 28.5% to
₩174.5 billion.
The demand in South Korea’s
machine tools market has changed from
standard, cost-effective products to highprecision machine tools. In line with this
156 MMT - January 2013

Companies such as Samsung, Hyundai,
LG and Doosan have not only received
a good response in India but have also
set up manufacturing base in the country.
Indian companies can provide component
and raw materials to Korean companies
and lately, they have started looking at
Korea as a potential business partner.
SIMTOS 2012 had a huge number of
Indian exhibitors, visitors and buyers
looking at business opportunities in
the country. Korea seems to be a good
business partner; but it can also be a threat
for Indian companies, as it produces
high-end sophisticated machines to costeffective products.

Why South Korea ?

Healthy trade relationship
Huge demand for components
Well established market

trade relationship. Many Korean
machine tools giants have set up
their facilities in India. According to
Hee-Chul Park, Director General,
KOMMA, “India is the fourth country
we export to, after China, US and
Germany. In 2011, Korea exported
machinery worth US$168 million, with
an increment of 39%. We share a good
relationship with Indian companies. It
is all about synergic growth prospects, as
Indian companies have shown interest in
Korean products and Korean companies
are also willing to invest in India. This
will enhance the trade prospects between
the two countries.” Going forward,
it has been forecasted that Korean
machine tools manufacturers will
expand their business in India, while
India will look for business in machine
tools component.

The Indian Connect
India and Korea enjoy a very healthy

nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

COUNTRIES TO CONNECT
China

Age of the Dragon
China is the leading producer and consumer of machine tools in the world. The growth of China is
a double-edged sword for India, as it can dominate the market and grab more global investments,
while the high consumption can generate business for the Indian counterpart.

C

hina’s
exponential
growth in automotive,
infrastructure aviation,
railway
modernisation,
agriculture and energy has
driven an astounding consumption of
machine tools. China now consumes
one-fifth of the world’s machine tools.
Almost all the world’s top machine tools
manufacturers are investing or setting
up joint ventures in China, leading to
the overall unprecedented growth in
the country.

Dragon Threat
It is not only on the defence front that
India faces a threat from China, but
the world’s most populous country is
also posing a serious threat to India’s
manufacturing sector. The growth of
the manufacturing industry in China
is a major concern for India, as many
global companies are setting up base and
making it a product/export hub. The
strong growth in economy has made
China a worthwhile market for the
world’s machine tools manufacturers.
Contributing to the development of
the global manufacturing industry,
158 MMT - January 2013

the country is observing a double-digit
growth in machine tools exports. This
leads to India losing investment from
global companies.
Over the years, strong government
support, strong infrastructure and huge
consumer base are the main reasons
that Chinese companies have become
very aggressive and are producing cheap
products. Cost-effective products are
the main source of concern for Indian
manufacturers, as India is also known for
its cheap products. According to industry
sources, Noida—manufacturing hub of
North India—is suffering as cheap Chinese
imports have increased in the region.

Opportunities for Indians
Apart from being a threat for India, China
is also a huge investment destination.
As more than 20% of the global
machine tools is consumed in China, it
certainly is enough reason to invest in
the country. Chinese SMEs demand
low-cost products that India can provide
at any given point. It also makes sense
to start a manufacturing base in China,
as the government is very supportive and
encourages FDI in the country.

Why China?

Vast consumption base
Healthy trade relations
Promising future

Future Outlook
India and China have entered into a
five-year economic cooperation plan
to strengthen the trade relationship
between the two countries. Industry
experts believe that trade between
China and India is expected to reach
US$100 billion by 2015. It is rightly
said that this decade belongs to Asia
and the future of these two countries
looks promising.
China’s dominance in the global
manufacturing area will surely be a source
of concern for Indian manufacturers. But
instead of fearing China’s dominance,
Indian companies should work on
their strengths and look at China as an
opportunity. As the trade between the
two countries is expected to be healthy
in the future as well, it is essential to
improve business relations with China.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

COUNTRIES TO CONNECT
US

On The Rise Again
The US machine tools industry, despite a sharp drop in production, export and import in the recent
economic downturn, is relatively healthy. After the economic slowdown, the country is again bouncing
back, with the order book on the rise. Advanced technologies and recent developments are again
making the industry competitive in the global market, with its sales steadily rebounding.

T

he US is among the highly
developed and technologically
advanced countries in the
world. It is one of the main
countries producing highprecision machined components, tools
and machine tools accessories since
many decades. US is one of the biggest
consumers of machine tools as well.

Market Trend
After the economic slowdown in 2008–
09, the country’s machine tools industry
is on the rise again. The economy, high
manufacturing and stable government are
helping US regain lost ground, and the
automobile machine tools manufacturers
in the country are again getting
orders. To restructure its economy, the
government is supporting the industry in
many ways such as tax reduction and skill
development programmes. Compiled
by the Association for Manufacturing
Technology (AMT), in 2012, new orders
for machine tools and related technology
rose 40.7% to US$667.47 million in
September, from US$474.31 million
in August. The data is included in the
monthly US Manufacturing Technology
160 MMT - January 2013

Orders report, which includes actual
results of domestic sales of machine tools
and associated equipment.
Additionally, the US government
has also sought to reduce the excessive
burden of tax and regulatory policies that
hamper growth, particularly on smaller
companies. To meet these challenges
and to make US manufacturing more
globally competitive, the government
launched the ‘Advanced Manufacturing
Partnership and Skills for America’s
Future’ programme. These initiatives
focus on boosting manufacturing
innovation and meeting the demands of
a 21st-century workplace. Both industry
leaders and the current administration
see the development and expansion of a
smart force in the US as critical to growth
in the machine tools sector.

Opportunities Galore
As the US economy is again getting
back in shape and sending hope for
the business, this is the time for Indian
machine tools builders to invest in the
country. Indian companies, apart from
providing engineering components and
equipment, can also become suppliers of

cost-effective Special Purpose Machines
(SPMs). As the consumption is
gradually increasing in the country,
American companies are looking for
cheap component providers. This
certainly will generate business for Indian
component providers.

Tremendous Scope
India has very good relations with
American companies, especially in
supplying automobile components.
Many automobile manufacturers like
Kennametal and Haas Automation have
set up their base in the country. Since
India is one of the biggest consumers
of American machine tools and Indian
companies are looking to expand in
America, the future looks promising for
both the countries.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

COUNTRIES TO CONNECT
Italy

Showcasing Trade Potential
The Italian machine tools industry resonates through its brands’—Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Fiat
and Ducati—quality, design and performance. Italy exports 70% of its machine tools, which clearly
shows its commitment towards technology. As the country is looking at India as a huge potential
market, here’s a take on how Indian companies can optimise on the growing market.

I

n 2011, Italian manufacturers
of machine tools, robots and
automation systems suffered due to
a slowdown in the world economy,
which grew much less (+3.7%)
than in 2010 (+5.2%). However, there
was significant increase in production
(+27.7%) and consumption (+27.5%)
of machine tools. With its exceptional
skill, innovative designs and highend technologies, Italy held the fourth
position in the list of manufacturers and
stood third in the list of exporters.

Italian Machine Tools Industry
Italian manufacturers are known for their
flexibility, quick response and supply of
custom-made machines and systems.
For 2012, UCIMU—the apex body of
the Italian machine tools industry—has
forecasted that production, export and
import will increase by 4.9%, 12.3%
and 5.8%, respectively. Luigi Galdabini,
President, UCIMU, says, “The Italian
production of machine tools, robots and
automation systems in 2011 reached
a value of €4,762 million, employing
approximately 30,000 people. This sector
remains one of the great strengths of
162 MMT - January 2013

our country.”

Why Italy?

Opportunities @ Italy

Italy is one of the biggest automobile
manufacturers and the huge consumer base
in the country certainly holds big scope
for machine tools builders. Setting up
business in Italy will not only allow one to
access the Italian market, it will also open
the doors for other European countries.
Indian companies can capture the market
by providing engineering goods and some
components for the SPMs.

Relations between India and
Italy
The seventh largest export country for
Italy, India is a big market for Italian
manufacturers. The country is now
looking to expand their business in India
substantially and recently announced the
launch of the Italian Technology Centre
in Pune, which will represent 11 Italian
companies and promote the ‘Made in
Italy’ trademark in India. According to
Galdabini, “Italy has extensive know-how
and a large production output of machine
tools, but has a weak domestic market.
In contrast, India lacks in machine tools

To access the European
Market
To access the huge consumer
base
To upgrade technology

manufacturing experience, but has a strong
demand due to the important production
expansion in the country, with important
industrial volumes. Therefore, a capillary
and advantageous network of commercial
agreements between the two countries
could bring advantages to both.”
In 2011, the import from Italy was
around €135 million, which covers both
metal cutting (56.2%) and metal forming
(39.4%). Galdabini adds, “For the Italian
machine tools sector, India is certainly
one of the most important outlet markets.
In 2011, India purchased machine tools
for an overall value of €135 million.”
With a long legacy of providing quality
and reliance, the manufacturing sector
of Italy is treading the road to build a
healthy relationship with India.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

COUNTRIES TO CONNECT
Taiwan

Gaining a Competitive Edge
Taiwan is emerging as one of the strongest competitors on the global platform. While offering quality
machine tools at par with the Japanese, this nation is also giving a tough chase to the Chinese. The
price factor of Taiwanese machines can hamper Indian machine tools business as well.

I

machine tools industry currently has the
highest production among all categories
in the machinery industry, with 75% of
the island’s machine tools production
going to the export market.

Taiwanese Manufacturers

The Taiwanese industry, over the years,
has understood the nuances of the global
market and is utilising its resources
to excel in the global manufacturing
industry. The country now manufactures
high-end technology to cost-effective
solutions. Their cheap solutions pose a
threat to Indian manufacturers. In the
last few years, Taiwanese companies have
been aggressively looking at the Indian
market and Indian companies have to
produce cutting edge solutions to compete
with them.

n the international machine
tools fraternity, Taiwan plays an
influential role by being the sixth
largest machine tools producer in
the world. The country exports
nearly 75% of its machine tools output.

Taiwan has built a strong machine
tools industry over a period of more
than four decades. Taiwan’s products
currently compete against Japanese,
Korean and German technologies and
face price competition from China. CC
Wang, President, Taiwan Association
of Machinery Industry (TAMI), says,
“Taiwan’s machine tools suppliers are
performing strongly despite the global
economic downturn. Taiwan offers its
buyers high-quality products for a much
lower cost than other markets. Another
advantage is that Taiwan provides a
much faster delivery time (average three
months) as compared to its counterparts
in other markets such as Japan and
Europe.”
According to statistics compiled by
TAMI, the local industry’s revenue for
the first half of 2012 rose 9.40% yearon-year to US$2.09 billion. Taiwan’s
164 MMT - January 2013

Threat Factor

Business With India
Talking about relations with India, TsaoHsu Chen, President, Jainnher Machine
Co Ltd, says, “India is a huge market for
us, and we will keep investing in it in the
coming years. With a population of 1.2
billion, India has a big market that we
cannot ignore. We will keep participating
in machine tools shows and advertise

Why Taiwan?

Exchange of technology
Good customer for components
Strong presence worldwide

in magazines for expanding our sales
market.”
Talking about the challenges in India,
Chen adds, “Most customers consider
only the machines prices. I think we
need to explain the difference between
Taiwanese suppliers and other countries’
suppliers; customers should not just
compare the price but also acknowledge
the machines’ quality. Because Taiwanese
suppliers offer reasonable prices and
good quality, Taiwan is listed third in the
export of huge machine tools, globally.”
In future, the two countries are going to
play key roles in the global machine tools
arena, which warrants good business
relations between the two countries. The
growth of Taiwan is a threat to Indian
companies, but it can also be looked
at as a great opportunity to exchange
and
enhance
the
know-how
of technologies.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

COUNTRIES TO CONNECT
Germany

Bond With The Best
Be it automobile, engineering goods, automation, electrical & electronics, power generation or
machine tools, Indo-German relations have always been good. Over the years, the two countries have
further strengthened their trade relations significantly. Here’s taking a look at the opportunities and
future outlook of Indo-German relations.

G

ermans are known for their
sophisticated machines,
innovation and productivity
solutions. Besides the core
processing techniques—
milling, turning, pressing and
grinding—there exists an extensive variety
of special purpose machinery supplied to
highly sophisticated industries such as
automobiles, aircraft, etc. Martin Kapp,
President, VDW (German Machine Tool
Manufacturers’ Association), says, “2012
was a good year for the German machine
tools industry. Following a record growth
in 2011, orders decreased over the course
of the year. The sector is anticipating
a further growth of 8% in production
output. This corresponds to sales of more
than US$19 billion.”

Business Opportunity for India
Germany is the world’s third largest
manufacturer of machine tools. With a
volume of almost US$7 billion in 2011,
the country is an attractive target for all
machine tools manufacturers operating
on an international scale. It is an open
market, but also a demanding one.
According to Kapp, “India primarily
166 MMT - January 2013

supplies parts and accessories, machining
centres and lathes. In alliance with
German customers, they can produce
high-quality parts and accessories, both
for Indian and international markets. In
2013, the EMO Hannover will be the
best platform for Indian manufacturers to
raise their profiles.”

Trade Relations
Germany has, for many years, been
the second most important supplier for
India’s industrial sector, after Japan.
This is not a welcome confirmation of
the good reputation enjoyed by German
machinery and solutions in India.
“Stand-alone solutions for sophisticated
applications are much in demand. For
the future, too, we are a very good partner
for the ongoing upgrade and expansion of
India’s industrial sector. When it comes
to manufacturing higher-quality products
in the automotive industry, medical
technology or mechanical engineering
sectors, German vendors are the first
choice,” says Kapp.
The relations between the two
countries are healthy, as many
segments other than machine tools

Why Germany ?

Acceptance
of
Indian
components
Large consumer base
Well established trade
relations

have also generated good business.
Indian companies have been supplying
component and engineering equipment
to German manufacturers and are now
looking to expand their presence in the
country. “In 2011, following a severe
drop as a result of the crisis in 2009–10,
exports rose again by more than onefifth. In 2012, the slowdown in India’s
industrial dynamics affected German
deliveries as well, which showed a slight
decline. A broad spectrum of technologies
was exported from Germany, particularly
machining centres, grinding machines,
parts and accessories, etc. Also, orders
for machine tools rose slightly during
the year’s first nine months, so we are
confident that the level of exports can be
maintained,” concludes Kapp.
nishant.kashyap@network18publishing.com

176
IMTEX Curtain
Raiser – Bringing
the Shine in
Ma‘SHEEN’ing

182
180

World of Learnings
from Trade Titans

Future Forecast Indian Economy
2013: Will it Rise or
Fall?

IMTEX 2013:
Manufacturing
Technology
Demonstrator

As the globe heads
towards new beginnings,
here’s taking a look at
what IMTEX 2013 has
in store for the world.
Cautious optimism will
be the ‘mood’ of the
show.

186

While IMTEX stands
as the premier machine
tools trade show of India,
what can be done to make
it the numero uno trade
show of the world?

The year 2012 left
us with expectations,
hopes and learnings.
Will 2013 play a more
optimistic role in the
global economy?

January 2013 - MMT 175

CURTAIN RAISER
IMTEX 2013

BRINGING THE SHINE IN MA‘SHEEN’ING
The global machine tools fraternity is again heading towards Bengaluru to explore a wide range of
the latest, state-of-the-art technologies from India and the world at the country’s premier machine
tools event—IMTEX 2013. This year, the event will have something of interest for everyone. Debarati
Basu Das offers a sneak peek into this grand event...

T

he machine tools industry
is going through one of
its most innovative phases.
While technology and
out-of-the-box machining
solutions are becoming the need of the
hour, IMTEX has been a platform for
India to showcase its potential and also
give leverage to global technology. Giving
impetus to technology, the 16th Indian
metal cutting machine tools exhibition—
IMTEX 2013—is all set to start from
January 24, 2013. The seven-day
machine tools extravaganza will showcase
an exhaustive range of innovations
and technological refinements in the
complete product segment of metal
cutting machine tools.
Additionally, the concurrent event—
Tooltech 2013—which is the 15 th
international exhibition of cutting tools,
tooling systems, machine tools accessories,
metrology & CAD/CAM, will feature the
latest trends in cutting tools and tooling
systems from across the globe. Along with
this, the exhibition will display a wide
176 MMT - January 2013

Highlights of IMTEX 2013
More than 47,000 sq m of
exhibiting area
Over 900 exhibitors
Expecting about 50,000 visitors
Participation of 24 countries
Nine country groups
International seminar on
Forming Technology with eminent
speakers from across the globe
Trade delegations
Academia-Industry Pavilion

The Year That Was …
IMTEX 2011 was a mega success and
saw the participation of 813 companies.
Spread over an area of 45,000 sq m,
IMTEX, along with Tooltech 2011,
saw the participation of 23 countries,
including eight country groups—China,
Czech Republic, Germany, Italy,
Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and US. The
exhibition also witnessed participation
from Australia, Canada, France, Korea,
Holland, Turkey, Belgium, Russia, Japan,
Thailand, UK, etc. This success has
provided the association with the impetus
to make it bigger and better.

Major Highlights
The event this year will be spread across

IMTEX 2013
an increased exhibition space of 47,000
sq m, with over over 900 exhibitors
displaying their best and most unique
products. This year, the event will have
participation from 24 countries including
nine country group participations.
With trade delegations from major user
industries buzzing at the event to capture
the best deals, the event will also host
international seminars on machining
technology, which will highlight evolving
trends in the machine tools industry from
all over the globe.
The 2011 event had experts from

Germany, Italy, Israel, Japan, Switzerland,
UK, US, Singapore and India sharing
their experiences and latest developments
on metal cutting solutions in the areas of
auto component machining, aerospace,
die & mould machining, control systems,
measurements & automation and new
generation machine tools.
IMTEX 2013 will feature an
exhibition space—Academia-Industry
Pavilion—where academic and research
institutions will present themselves and
their particular field of research related
to the Indian machine tools industry.

The best displays will be awarded cash
prizes.
This initiatives aimed at building
a strong academia-industry synergy
in the field of machine tools and
manufacturing technology, thus giving
an excellent opportunity to company
employees and students to have a
first-hand experience of the best in
metalworking technology.
With so much happening at the same
platform, there is possibly no reason not
to be a part of this galore of opportunities
that IMTEX 2013 will bring.

Exhibitors’ Views
Satish Sadasivan, Managing Director, SCHUNK Intec India Pvt Ltd
The single largest Indian industrial trade fair, IMTEX 2013, is expected to have a
catalysing effect on industrial motivation, resulting in growth. At the moment, the
resurgence of aggressive industrial activity is awaiting a boost from an event like
IMTEX to secure customer confidence. I am sure that IMTEX will be followed
by brisk and busy days for the industry. IMTEX itself has undergone a paradigm
shift in its significance. Today, it is a platform for solutions and optimisation;
it is not just about products. SCHUNK will bring to the fore the experience of
innovative solutions, optimisation and cost benefits at IMTEX 2013.

Mukund Bharadwaj, Deputy CEO, Guhring India Pvt Ltd
Compared to the year 2011, this time around, IMTEX might have a subdued
response both from the visitors and exhibitors. This is due to the prevailing market
conditions and the fact that many participants are trimming down their outlay.
Visitors too have a trimmed down budget. So, there might not be as much business
as the previous show. However, although we are not expecting a lot of business during
the show, we will be showcasing some of our focused products.

P Thangavel, Director, S&T Engineers Pvt Ltd
IMTEX is the most important platform to display our latest products. Since it is
biennial event, we use this platform to meet the existing and new customers during
this show. We have been participating in IMTEX since 2001 and all the shows
have given us a good customer database. Being in IMTEX is a great experience, as
we get the opportunity to see the entire range of new products launched in visuals.
We are expecting to generate enquiries of around `50 crore; however, we are still
waiting for the revival of the economy. The 2012 edition of IMTEX has helped us
reach out to more customers. To attract more customers, we will display our latest
technology through products like YCM 5-axis machining centre and horizontal
machine centre.

Vinay Javali, Deputy ManagerMarketing, UCAM Pvt Ltd
IMTEX, as everyone knows, is one
of the premier trade shows in India.
This event has always led to good
returns in terms of brand building
and networking with customers. This
time too, we are expecting a huge
customer base from India and abroad
to attend the event, which will help
us network better with them. We
are going to make the most of this
event and are launching various new
products during the show. Direct
Drive Rotary Table will be one of
our premier products to be launched
during the event this time.

Sridhar Pissay, Vice President –
Sales and Marketing, Carl Zeiss
Even though the market conditions
are not good, there is a lot of longterm planning going on in the market.
All eyes are on the year 2014 where
we are expecting a reversal in the
market. However, due to the slump in
the market conditions, although many
companies have decided to stay away
from the show, many other companies
are making it to IMTEX 2013. We
are optimistic about the outlook of
the show and are launching three new
products during the show.

January 2013 - MMT 177

IMTEX 2013

Exhibitors’ Views
TK Ramesh, CEO, Micromatic
Machine Tools Pvt Ltd
IMTEX is one of the biggest shows
in the metal tooling industry in India.
This year, IMTEX is sure to bring
much awaited relief and cheer to the
industry, which is reeling from severe
pressure. The industry is gearing up
for a lot of customer inflow and order
bookings through IMTEX. This can
easily be seen in the booth bookings
at IMTEX, which have surpassed all
previous records. We too are lining
up lots of product launches and new
offerings for our customers this time.
The entire team is ready to heartily
welcome all visitors at our booth.

Amitabh Varma, Head – Marketing
Services, Bharat Fritz Werner Ltd
This is a very good time to organise
IMTEX. The economy might not
be doing very well, but this event
can be of advantage, as people are
utilising the time to look for new
solutions and technologies. When
there is too much business, people
do not get the time to look at
other aspects. Bharat Fritz Werner
Ltd has acquired majority stake in
Matec—a German manufacturer—
and has entered into a strategic
alliance with Spinner. We will be
displaying a total of 14 machines
along with some of their machines
for the first time on Indian soil.

BC Rao, MD, Kennametal India Ltd
The Indian machine tools sector has matured over the last decade; it has grown
more integrated in the global marketplace. IMTEX 2013 will spearhead a wide
range of opportunities for Kennametal as an end-to-end solutions provider,
including process engineering support for manufacturers. Our focus is to add
value to every part of the customer’s process, from art or concept design to
the production of a finished part. At this year’s IMTEX, we are presenting
an exciting array of new products designed to make our customers more
productive, including the entire hole-making portfolio, KenFeed 2X, Mill 1-7,
Rodeka, KSEM PLUS B1 & KSRM, etc.
Santosh Prabhu, Managing Partner,
Tool Grinding Technologies
SM Dangi, Manager – Marketing,
Festo Controls
We have been a part of IMTEX
ever since it shifted to Bengaluru
and we have participated in every
metal cutting event. Over the years,
IMTEX has grown to become a
technology show rather than being
just a machine tools show. There
is a large number of exhibits on
accessories, spare parts, etc. Our main
aim this time is to identify and strike
deals with companies that have new
projects and expansion plans. The
market seems to be going through
a slowdown and any kind of clarity
on the situation will only come by
the first half of 2013. So, although
there might not be many prospective
business opportunities immediately,
companies with future projects will
be at the event to understand the
technology and envisage lucrative
deals in future.

Francis Joseph, DGM, Raj Petro Specialties Pvt Ltd
We have been a regular visitor of IMTEX, but this is the first time that we
are participating. We have been preparing ourselves for the last two years to
come up with some unique products to launch at the event. This year, as an
exhibitor, we are expecting visitors from all quarters, especially the auto and
auto components industry. We will have some of our products including high
performance lubricants, synthetic and semi synthetics metal working fluids,
quenching oils and other products. We are also hoping to meet potential
visitors.

178 MMT - January 2013

The industry has been going through
a slow patch for the last six months.
Considering this, we are presuming
that there might not be high
participation of end user industries
like auto and auto components
manufacturers. However, the defence
sector has received several new
projects. Hence, potential visitors
from the ordnance and defence
industry will be there at the event to
look for new technology. IMTEX is
a very good event to refurbish one’s
visibility in the industry.
Sunil Kumar Rao, Director –
Marketing, Farmax Machines Pvt Ltd
The industry always goes through
a sinusoidal phase and we are
certainly going through a trough
with the slowdown in the market.
However, there is hope that from
here, the industry will only gain
some momentum. We should be
able to see investments and business
rolling in by the end of the first
quarter. Automotive is also showing
signs of recovery in India. We have
continuously been communicating
with our European counterparts and
we find no drop in their enthusiasm
about India, which is one of
the fastest growing countries after
China.
debarati.basu@network18publishing.com

Shailesh Sheth, an
eminent authority,
shrewd analyser
of trends, brilliant
strategist and
considered by the
industry as a ‘Guru’,
to us, he manifests as
‘Sarathi’, accomplishing
his timely purpose in the
ever-evolving world.

ByMerchant
Shailesh
Sheth
of Dreams

IMTEX 2013: Manufacturing Technology Demonstrator

I

the perfect platform for showcasing the latest technologies
MTEX, organised by IMTMA, is the leading trade
and putting yourself on the global map. The show is a
fair for the machine tools sector, which offers the
technology and capability demonstrator rather than a retail
highest provider and user interface. Exhibitors
outlet. Branding is another important feature of a show of
from all over the world will put their efficiency and
this calibre. Exhibitions should have booths with a highly
innovative power to test before the best qualified
professional environment and not stalls with a festive
and experienced manufacturing professionals. For any
atmosphere like the ones you see at melas. It is going to
exhibition of this calibre, factors such as timing, the external
be a fiercely competitive situation and those who manage
environment, GDP growth and consumer sentiment are very
to create clear ‘differentiators’ are the ones who will benefit
important as they set the ‘mood’ for the show.
the most. It is going to be a fight to the finish to capture
For instance, the 2011 show had an upbeat atmosphere
maximum footfalls and eyeballs.
as the economy had bounced back from the
The challenge for the exhibitors would
disastrous recession of 2008–10. However,
Cautious optimism will be
be to ferret out serious buyers from the
today’s scenario is slightly different. If not
the ‘mood’ of the show.
large crowds that will visit the show,
altogether negative, it is downright confusing.
ensuring that their message on technology,
We see scams and scandals, inaction in
capability and brand is effectively conveyed in the blink of an
bureaucracy, absurdity in politics, a social backlash arising
eye and that follow-up action post IMTEX is well planned
from the benefits of liberalisation not having reached the
and executed.
people at the bottom of the pyramid, a restive younger
On the industry platform, IMTEX 2013 comes at a
population whose aspirational gap is widening and an
crucial time when India is preparing for a quantum leap
inapt administration, which is hopelessly out of touch with
in machine tools consumption—from `10,000
the ground reality of a fast changing India.
crores to `50,000 crores—making India cross the
Only time will tell how all these will manifest
2-trillion GDP mark in 2020. This is a serious
themselves. In addition, India’s rating is
challenge as well as a big opportunity with a lowly
constantly under watch. And it seems that the
base of 1% of the world production. Through
story of Incredible India is not so incredible
IMTEX, the Indian machine tools industry can
after all! However, inward remittances and
legitimately dream of taking a quantum leap,
agricultural production are still growing and
improving its current ranking (12th) to be among
consumer demand is still holding strong. The
assessment is that the economy may have
the top 5 machine tools producers in the world.
bottomed out and now, we will see a gradual
IMTEX 2013 will be a clear indicator of
upward trend. Thus, one expects to see cautious optimism
whether the Indian machine tools industry has succeeded in
as the ‘mood’ of the show. In short, the external situation
creating a platform to launch itself towards
is certainly not going to be a show-stopper. IMTEX is
achieving this target.

180 MMT - January 2013

IMTEX 2013
IMTEX vs Global Exhibits

World of Learnings from
Trade Titans
The machine tools fraternity has its eyes set on the first mega event of the year-IMTEX 2013. With the
maiden edition held in the year 1969, the event has grown exponentially over the last four decades.
As the world of new trends and technology opens its gate with the inauguration of IMTEX 2013, the
time is ripe and right to evaluate and analyse the value propositions of the top trade titans, be it EMO,
OF, SIMTOS and TIMTOS.
IMTS, JIMTOF,
IMTEX - India
IM

182 MMT - January 2013

featuring the Indian industry’s strong
position in the global market. Moreover,
the event has acted as a catalyst for the
growth of this industry.
Here is a comparative analysis on
the magnitude at which the Top 5
exhibitions of the world are held and
their attractive business propositions.

ith every passin
passing
ingg
countries
year, countr
rie
ies
come
have com
me
closer
t o
each other with th
the
he
flow of unhindered
indered
ed
information
and
an
nd
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This is alsoo a
time when every
erry
country on the
hee
world map iiss
finding a place
cee
of prominence
ce
by exhibitingg
its potential.
l.
In the world off
machines and
nd
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tools, it is a phase
asee
of switching gears.
arss.
While countries
triess
now
understand
stand
d
the importance
nce off
demonstratingg thei
their
ir
potential in a foreign
n
land, exhibitions
ns have todayy
become essential
tial not just too
bring the world
d at the doorsteps ooff
the host country
ry but also to invigoratee
its global business
ness opportunities.
While the curtains have been drawn
on the year that went by, what better
way to begin the New Year than with a
combination of world-class technology
and knowledge sharing, using the same
platform. Amidst a host of exhibitions
held throughout the year, IMTEX has
held its position as the representative
of the Indian machine tools industry,

IMTEX vs Global Exhibits
and Israel. It also features country
pavilions that further help exhibitors and
visitors to strengthen business relations
with particular countries. Slotted among
one of the most important Asian
machine tools exhibitions, IMTEX has
become a one-stop forum where users
and customers are empowered with
the display of technologies that give an
edge to their manufacturing. IMTEX
undoubtedly acts as an enabler to global
manufacturing competitiveness and a
window to the emerging technologies
of the future.
IMTEX also has a concurrent
show—Tooltech. It is India’s premier
exhibition showcasing the latest
trends in cutting tools and tooling
industry from across the country as
well as from various corners of the
globe. The event will showcase the
latest range of cutting tools, tooling
technologies, production aids, machine
tools accessories, metrology as well as
CAD/CAM software. Major overseas
countries represented at the exhibition
included Australia, Canada, France,
Korea, Holand, Turkey, Belgium,
Russia, Japan, Thailand, UK, etc. The
event is strategically organised keeping
in mind the interest of the industry, so
it focuses on metal cutting and metal
forming every alternate year. Over the
years, IMTEX has grown to become
the best business platform in India for
the machine tools fraternity and play an
important role in the development of
the Indian metalworking industry.

EMO – Germany
Exposition Mondiale de la Machine
Outil, better known as EMO, is one
of the largest and the most soughtafter trade shows in the world today.
This bi-annual European exhibition
for the metalworking industry is held
in Hannover, Germany. Over the years,
EMO has gained the stature of being

One of the oldest trade shows
Exponential expansion of the
show with every event
Consistent balance to ensure
quality exhibitors and visitors
High rate of visitors who
strike business
A gateway to the European
machine tools industry
A platform to set industry
trends for the future
Launch
pad
for
path-breaking technologies

the Mecca of exhibitions for machine
tools builders across the world. This has
been an event that has helped companies
to successfully promote their business in
the international machine tools industry
through Germany.
The event has always maintained
exquisite standards of exhibitors.
Despite catering to a recovering market,
EMO 2011 garnered orders of at least
€4.5 billion. The event had over 2,037
exhibitors from 41 countries, of which
261 were Italian, 155 were Taiwanese,
130 were Swiss, 97 were Chinese and 28
were Indian. This innovation is not just
restricted to the highly unique machines
on display but also includes functional
and appealing designs. The event
focused on innovations and solutions
that are in sync with sustainability
in production. EMO 2011 is proof
of how intensely manufacturers are
focusing on energy efficiency in their
facilities and economical use of energy
and raw materials. The event had over
40% international exhibitors, which
has been the unique key success factor
of EMO. Over 140,000 visitors from
over 100 countries visited EMO 2011.
As per the post event analysis, more
than half of the visitors had decisionmaking authority in procurement
and purchasing. Close to 55% of the
visitors came with concrete investment
plans at EMO 2011. Among foreign
participants, about half the visitors were
interested in expanding their capacity,

while 20% of the participants were first
time investors of machine tools.
The many social events added to
the flavour of EMO 2011. Conferences
on sustainable production techniques,
production technologies for the
aerospace, potential in the Russian
market and the recruitment campaign
stole the show. EMO was one of the
most successful fairs in terms of net
exhibition space and volume of orders
obtained through the fair. It reflected
the global business environment of
the industry and has been the largest
international showcase for the machine
tools industry.
CECIMO has confirmed that the
global machine tools market is growing
significantly again after the downturn
of 2010–11. EMO intends to be at the
centre of the world of machines in 2013
and continues to be the undisputed
leading trade fair of the industry.

IMTS – The USA
Even as the US economy has been
inconsistent in its future forecast, it is
still one of the most dominant players
in the business. The international

Why Exhibit in
IMTS?

The largest machine tools
show of the US
A straight 21% growth of the
show in 2012
Extremely organised to
encourage healthy comparison
of technology and machines
on display
An Advanced Manufacturing
Centre that displayed Boeing
Fuel Cell Demonstrator
Aircraft and a Lotus Formula 1
Race Car (as well as metal and
carbon fibre car components
displayed by Lotus) to
enhance participation
The event had 10 industry
pavilions, 18 major product
groups and more than 350
product categories on display

manufacturing show is a platform
to encounter new manufacturing
technologies and ideas. IMTS 2012
witnessed a record number of 100,200
visitors.
With more than 100,000 industrial
decision-makers under the same roof,
IMTS is certainly the place to get ideas
and find solutions to manufacturing
problems. The event had over
1,909 exhibitors covering more than
1,240,863 sq m of space. A post event
survey brought out the fact that not
just 95% of the visitors were satisfied
with the exhibits, 91% were successful
in finding specific products or solving
manufacturing problems. Over 60%
of the people at the event made new
business contacts.
The 29th edition of IMTS was host to
exhibitors and visitors from 119 countries;
the total registration for the six-day event
of 100,200 visitors was a 21.6% increase
over 2010, marking the largest show-toshow increase ever for IMTS.

JIMTOF – Japan
Japan has been the unprecedented
place for the growth of technology
and innovation in Asia for decades.
As technology rose in the East, the
world looked at the machine tools
manufacturing monopoly moving to
Japan. The Japan International Machine
Tool Fair (JIMTOF) is one of the most
important events and the gateway to
Asian manufacturing.
Organised by Japan Machine Tool
Builders’ Association (JMTBA) and
Tokyo Big Sight Inc, this biennial

One of the oldest Asian
trade shows
Double expansion of exhibition
over two exhibitions
Huge
and
cumulative
support from more than 12
industry associations
Japan, a gateway to other
Asian countries including
China, Taiwan, Korea and
Hong Kong

event had over 813 companies from
23 countries spread across 44,676 m2
of space in 2010. In 2012, with 691
exhibitors, the event almost doubled
by encompassing over 82,660 m2
of exhibiting space. The event has
received extensive cooperation from
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Japan, Ministry of Economy, Trade
and Industry and support from over 12
associations including Japan Machine
Tool Importers’ Association, Japan
Forming Machinery Association, Japan
Precision Machine Association, Japan
Solid Cutting Tools’ Association, Japan
Cemented Carbide Tool Manufacturers’
Association, Japan Machine Accessory
Association, Japan Precision Measuring
Instruments Association, etc.
The 26th edition of JIMTOF held
in 2012 had a vast gamut of technology
on display, which is also one of the rare
attractions of the event.

TIMTOS – Taiwan
Taiwan is one of the most promising
nations in today’s machine tools
fraternity. Since a decade, it has been
providing a perfect blend of high-end
technology and low-cost solutions
and has been attracting international
attention. With business opportunities
growing leaps and bounds in this

Well organised show
2011 was the largest trade
show in Taiwan’s history
Synergetic and synchronised
effort from TAMI, TAITRA
and Taiwanese companies
The
show
has
an
international approach
For TIMTOS 2011, the
organisers mobilised 56
branches around the world
to invite leading buyers and
arrange buyer groups from
Italy, Russia and India. This
shows the country’s dedication
towards success
The 2011 event had a growth
of 18.9% over the 2009 event

country, Taiwan has marked its presence
in every country. Organised by Taiwan
External Trade Development Council
(TAITRA) and Taiwan Association of
Machinery Industry (TAMI), TIMTOS
is a binneal event, which has been
representing the country since 1975.
The event had over 928 exhibitors
from 20 countries in 2011 and achieved
a ‘Double 5K’ by hosting 5,152 show
booths, which attracted a record high
of 5,071 overseas visitors. The event
expects to have a 5.38% growth rate in
exhibitor participation and house over
978 exhibitors in 2013. The event also
garnered huge interest with over 45,500
visitors, including 35,748 domestic
visitors, attending the show. The event
has some of the top manufacturers
of the world from various countries
including Australia, Brazil, China,
Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, India,
Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the
Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea,
Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey,
United Kingdom and the US.
The 2011 event had a growth of
18.9% over the previous show held in
2009, which is commendable. Given
the exponential growth of the event,
TIMTOS took up speedy construction
of Exhibition Hall to allow larger
number of exhibitors to participate

in the event. Taiwan’s machine tools
industry is known for its fast assembly
capability and easy access to components
given the synergy in the establishment
of industry clusters. This is why
Taiwanese manufacturers are favoured
by overseas buyers from emerging
markets that offer quality products at
lower prices to their customers.
Keeping pace with the business
opportunities, TAITRA had invited
12 leading international buyers from
seven countries for the ‘TIMTOS
2011 – Trade Meeting’. Of the
12 buyers, 9 were companies with
annual sales topping US$50 million
and 3 were the top 5 importers in
their respective markets. A total of
51 exhibitors had joined 71 sessions
of the meeting, reporting on-site
transactions of US$280,000 and followup orders projected at the value of
US$4.52 million.
In 2011, Japan had the strongest
buyer representation followed by
China. But a large number of business
was from other countries including
Malaysia, South Korea, India, Thailand,
US, Turkey, Singapore and Russia.
For TIMTOS 2011, the organisers
had mobilised 56 branches around
the world to proactively invite leading
buyers and arrange buyer groups from
Italy, Russia and India.

SIMTOS – Korea
The machinery industry is the core
industry and accounts for 40% of all
manufacturing industries in Korea.
This industry has taken a quantum leap
with united technology of Information
Technology (IT), Nano Technology (NT),
Biotechnology (BT), Environmental
Technology (ET), Robot Technology
(RT) and Space Technology (ST).
The
Seoul
International
Manufacturing Technology Show

Largest Indian machine
tools show with international
participation
Covers a huge range of
metalworking machines
Presence of national and
international delegations

Learnings from Global Shows
A strong and undeterred support from the state and central governments
along with various machine tool organisations will give a sense of certainty to
foreign participants.
A renewed effort to help foreign companies and organisations to build a
relationship with Indian counterparts will take the industry a long way.
More number of industry-related seminars to enhance the technical knowhow and update the metalworking community on the latest trends.
(SIMTOS) has evolved to reflect the
trends of the machinery industry, and
Korea Machine Tool Manufacturers’
Association (KOMMA) provides a
new paradigm of the convergence
of next generation intelligent
manufacturing technology and existing
main industries.
SIMTOS 2012 was divided into
five brand pavilions by exhibiting
metal cutting & die-mould working,
press & metal forming, cutting-off &
welding, tools & related equipment,
CAD/CAM, measuring systems &
robotics and materials & motion
controls. The show also expanded its
exhibit to upgrade itself from being a

Why Exhibit in
SIMTOS?

m2

Huge gamut of exhibits
right
from
machine
tools manufacturers to
technology manufacturers
Huge space for exhibitors
Adequate efforts by organisers
in company meetings and
interactions for business
Special efforts by KOMMA
to guide visitors to meet
specific exhibitors as per
their requirements
Exhibitor count doubled over
the last two exhibitions

machine tools show to a manufacturing
technology show.

The Road Ahead
IMTEX has certainly grown bigger
with vigour to encompass the
industry’s potential. The previous
edition of IMTEX on metal cutting
machine tools and manufacturing
solutions featured participation of 813
companies. Spread over a gross area of
45,000 sqm, IMTEX 2011, along with
Tooltech 2011, saw the participation
of 23 overseas countries, including
eight country groups from China,
Czech Republic, Germany, Italy,
Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and the
US. IMTEX 2013 aims to achieve
even more.
The event is strategically organised
keeping in mind the interest of the
industry, so it focuses on Metal cutting
and Metal Forming every alternate year.
Over the years, IMTEX has become the
best business platform in India for the
machine tools fraternity and plays a big
role in the development of the Indian
metalworking industry. However, at a
time when the entire world is looking
towards India with hopes of exponential
business opportunities, IMTEX
forms the gateway for various
countries to judge, assess and
discover the potential of the
country.
January 2013 - MMT 185

FUTURE FORECAST
Indian Economy
it

T

M

M

Ed

Debarati Basu

BA in English and MCS in
Journalism and Communication
from the Maharaja Sayajirao
University of Baroda. r

She have an overall
experience of around 5 years in
Journalism. She likes to explore the new
world of machine tools and showcase the
best the industry has to offer.
debarati.basu@network18publishing.com

A

fter maintaining a lull
period throughout,
the last leg of
the year 2012
ended by
shooting up the
expectations of the
Indian market. The
industry output
reached a record
high of 8.2% in
October, which
is the highest
since 2011—
the year that
saw a 5% dip.
Adding to this,
manufacturing
in India grew
by 9.6% and the
government forecasted
an approximate growth
rate of 6% by the end of
2013.
Finance Minister P
Chidambaram expressed
his views on the jump in the
Index of Industrial Production

(IIP) in October by saying, “I am very
encouraged by the indications of the
green shoots in the economy in terms of
production. Industry production figures are
very interesting.”
But are the ‘green shoots’ equally
encouraging the industry? Is this the
beginning of a new trend, which will
continue in 2013? Can the forecasts
be trusted and can we hope for the
market to open up? While there is

optimism in the Indian air, one cannot
evade the signs of restraint in various
quarters of the industry. The numbers
have left the industry talking and
trying to identify the real colour that
the Indian economy is painting.

Beating the Blow
The Indian industry has been grappling
in the dark for quite some time now.
Coming out of the global economic
downturn, the stark fall of car sales during
the festive season came as an unexpected
blow to the industry. The passenger car
sales declined by 8.25% in November
and the growth of two-wheeler
sales remained subdued. This
has not just stalled all plans
of major expansion and
investments by auto
giants but has also
affected the machine
tools and ancillary
parts industries in
a major way. Most
manufacturing
auto component
units have either
reduced
or
stalled production
temporarily.
The industry is
currently in the
‘wait and watch’
mode and is hoping for
some changes to break
the jinx.

Stats Talk
The overall scenario,
however,
is
quite
mystifying. The annual

Indian Economy 2013
With the unexpected fall in auto demand, the ever increasing inflation rate and the continuous
political doldrums, the year 2012 did not turn out to be exactly the way it was predicted. However,
there are signs of recovery in the market already. Are these signs just a mirage to continuing the
downward trend? Can the industries and market get their hopes high and line up their investments?
Will 2013 be a wait and watch scenario for all? Debarati Basu Das tries to analyse 2013.
186 MMT - January 2013

Indian Economy
rate of inflation, based on the monthly
Wholesale Price Index, stood at 7.24% in
November 2012, as compared to 7.45%
in the previous month and 9.46% in
November 2011.
While inflation is one of the biggest
issues baffling the market, this certainly is
a positive sign. This has led to demands
from the industry for the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) to cut interest rates.
However, the RBI kept key policy rates,
including the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR),
unchanged in its mid-quarter review of
monetary policy for 2012–13 held on
November 18, 2012. While the repo
rate was maintained at 8%, CRR was
also maintained at status quo of 4.25%.
The Reserve Bank of India wrote in its
mid-quarter monetary policy review,
“In view of inflation pressures ebbing,
the monetary policy has to increasingly
shift focus and respond to the threats to
growth from this point onwards.”
The central bank was under
enormous pressure to cut rates from
the industry and the Finance Ministry,
both of which believed that a monetary
easing at this stage would lift spirits
and ultimately aid in reviving the
growth. Nonetheless, the numbers
have certainly drenched the hopes of
investors again this time.

Rising IIP Graph
The 8.2% growth in industrial production
in October was at a 16-month high,
mainly on account of a rebound in capital
and consumer goods and the statistical
impact of a low base. Consumer durables
were reported to be at a 16.5% high,
while non-consumer durable goods were
at 10.1%. In October, the capital goods
output expanded 7.5% from a 12.9%
contraction a month before. The capital
goods segment had seen growth for the
first time in 2012 since April.
The government’s overhaul of
certain policies worked in the favour of
factory output growth during the month
of October. The industrial output had
contracted 0.7% in September, although
it shrunk by 5% in October last year.
Reacting to the IIP growth numbers,
the minister said that, so far, this fiscal

While a major amount
of cash and investment is
piling up at various PSUs,
this money should find its
way out to sectors that are
crying for investments.
IIP had shown positive growth only in
May, at 2.5%, and August, at 2.3%. He
suggested a patient watch of the market
for the next four months for the picture
to be clearer.
Meanwhile, other sectors had
their own stories to tell. While the
manufacturing sector climbed 9.6%, the
power sector registered a rise of 5.5%. The
mining sector output shrank 0.1%, lower
than the contraction of 5.9% in 2011. In
the cumulative period of April–October
2012, the IIP grew 1.2% lower than the
3.6% recorded in the same period in 2011.
Amidst all this, while the government
targets to achieve a 6% GDP growth in
2013, the industry, going by its judgement
and experience, is expecting a maximum
rise of GDP to be not more than 5.3–
5.5%. The major expectation, however, is
that the inflation will fall further from the
7.5% recorded in October.
On the other hand, a Goldman
Sachs report mentioned that the Indian
economy is likely to grow by 6.5% in 2013,

driven by favourable external demand
outlook and domestic structural reforms
push. According to this report by the
investment banking major, the growth is
likely to pick up gradually to reach 6.5%
in 2013 and further to 7.2% in 2014.
The report also noted that India’s GDP
growth is likely to accelerate from 5.4%
in 2012 to 7.2% in 2014, and remain
high through 2015–16, provided the
government continues to push reforms.

Exporting Hope
The market has been showing many signs
of encouragement. Earlier, while only the
industry demand was weakening, the
consumption demand has also weakened.
Exports have not been the country’s forte.
India had set its overall exports target at
US$500 billion by 2013–14. However,
The Associated Chambers of Commerce
and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)
finds it highly unlikely. According to an
ASSOCHAM study, the exports may
not even touch last year’s level of about
US$304 billion in the current fiscal due
to weak demand in global markets.
The report points out that a
continuation of global economic scenario
will lead the merchandise exports for the
current fiscal to decelerate well below
US$300 billion. The exports registered
a meager growth of 3.2% in April 2012,
and the situation worsened in May and
June registering a decline of 4.1% and
5.4%, respectively.

Indian Economy 2013
What’s Working?

Industry output reached a 16-month record high of 8.2%
Manufacturing grew by 9.6%
The government forecasted a 6% growth (appx) by the end of 2013

What’s Not Working?

Annual inflation rate stood at 7.24% in November 2012
In its mid-quarter review of monetary policy for 2012–13, RBI kept
key policy rates including the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) unchanged
India is going through its most indecisive political situation,
encouraging sentiments of uncertainty among foreign and
domestic investors

January 2013 - MMT 187

Indian Economy
The government in power in the next tenure
also has to closely consider manufacturing
policy reforms that will open the market for
operation, increase demand, boost production
and maintain harmony in the economy.
Gauging a Reform
While there is not much hope for a drastic change in situations
immediately, the industry needs to find areas of alternate
investments. It is time for other sectors like infrastructure and
power to take the lead and prepare the path for the economy
to recover. According to various economists, the government
needs a proper channel for distribution of investments.
While a major amount of cash and investment is piling up at
various PSUs, this money should find its way out to sectors
that are crying for investments. A major amount of investment needs
to be made in sectors of infrastructure, power and aerospace so as to get
the cash rolling and economy gearing up.

Political Reform
The country, the industry and the market will
possibly remain with its dilemmas alive till the
2014 election, which will decide the fate of the
current government situation and the set of new policies and
reforms that will follow. Currently, the market is keeping itself away
fromtesting the waters and continues to maintain a low profile in
future investments.
However, this has also dissuaded foreign investments. The
sentiments and mood of uncertainty looms over the industry.
The government needs to take proactive steps to change this
mood and bring back the flow of foreign capital.
The government in power in the next tenure also has to
closely consider manufacturing policy reforms that will open
the market for operation, increase demand, boost production
and maintain harmony in the economy.

The Verdict
India’s economic growth had hit a three-year low in the quarter
ending June 30, 2012. Amidst numbers and forecasts, which
encourage and depress the industry, it needs to be understood
that after a long lull period, the signs of recovery will only
establish the base for success. If the cards are played right,
the year 2013 can only act as a momentum for growth in
2014. As C Rangarajan, Chairman, Prime Minister’s
Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC), puts it,
“The full effect of the recovery would only be visible
in 2013–14.” Hence, while you can wait patiently now,
expect a lot of economic action from the second
half of 2013.
188 MMT - January 2013

CURTAIN RAISER
Engineering Expo Aurangabad 2013

AURANGABAD
February 22–25, 2013
Ayodhya Nagari Ground

Leveraging market trends,expanding opportunities
From being a mere tourist attraction centre to a manufacturing hub, Aurangabad’s journey
has been glorious. The city has been growing at a healthy pace over the past few years and
is expected to witness a rise in the years to come. Capturing this majestic proposition is the
second edition of Engineering Expo Aurangabad. Slated to be held between February 22—25,
2013, this trade show promises to be the right connect between organisations and the growth
forecasts, finds Nishi Rath.

E

xploring new markets and
providing the right platform
for emerging opportunities
has been the backbone of
Engineering Expo ever
since its inception. Having captured the
manufacturing essence of regions like
Ahmedabad, Pune and Chennai while
providing them a manufacturing thrust,
the second edition of Engineering
Expo Aurangabad is all set to help one
and all leverage on the opportunities
and brighter prospects of this fast
developing manufacturing hub.
It all started when Bajaj Auto Ltd
entered Aurangabad in the 80s and
was followed by Videocon. This move
threw open a land of opportunities for
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
and the region’s growth prospects took
an upward swing with major players
like Skoda Auto, Varroc Engineering
Pvt Ltd, Endurance Technologies Pvt
Ltd, Man Diesel India, Can-Pack
India and Siemens venturing into the
region. Since then, SMEs have been
contributing their fair share to the
manufacturing sector here and thereby
to the region’s growth. According to
experts, Aurangabad is now one of
the classic examples of efforts towards
balanced industrialisation.

Growth of SMEs
One of the favourite investment
destinations, Aurangabad is known to
190 MMT - January 2013

be one of the fastest growing cities in
Maharashtra. This has led to an array
of business opportunities for SMEs
in the region. Aurangabad has over
3,405 medium- and small-scale units
generating about 36,871 jobs with
an investment of `404.86 crore. It is
estimated that by the year 2020, these
units will grow to 9,000, generating
about 95,000 jobs with an investment
of `1,050 crore.
In this era of cost competitiveness,
when everyone is looking at controlling
the overheads and reducing cost,
existence of SMEs is a must. After all,
SMEs help make the business models
of Original Equipment Manufacturers
(OEMs) more flexible. And with
Aurangabad emerging as an attractive
destination for auto giants, SMEs
definitely have a great future here!

Highlights of this edition
250+ exhibitors expected
20,000+ visitors expected
Business transaction worth
`80 crore expected
7, 250+ products on display
Spread over an area of more than

1,50,000 sq ft
Showcasing more than 30
diverse industry categories

Glimpses of previous edition
250 exhibitors
18,013+ business visitors from
across India
17,000 business
leads generated
Business transacted
worth `70 crore
6,250+ products displayed from
different industries
1, 00,000 sq ft area occupied
More than 1,10,000 kg
machinery moved in for display
83% exhibitors got the expected
visitors at the show
180+ delegations

SEZs and IT: The Growth
Catalyst
The growth of Aurangabad can be traced
back to the time when Maharashtra
Industrial Development Corporation
(MIDC) started acquiring land to set up
industrial estates. Today, Aurangabad
boasts of Shendra, Chikalthana and
Waluj MIDC industrial areas that
are significant zones on the outskirts
of Aurangabad. These areas, over the
years, have witnessed a steady flow
of investment and are home to both
national and multinational players.
The sectors that have attracted

Engineering Expo Aurangabad 2013
major investment in the region
are automotive, engineering and
pharmaceutical. In the last few years,
the engineering and automotive sectors
have significantly picked up, giving a
boost to the entire industrial fraternity
here. Aurangabad is the third city in
Maharashtra after Pune and Nashik
to offer an automotive cluster. Skoda
Auto manufactures its models Superb,
Laura and Yeti and also Passat and
Jetta for Volkswagen and the A4, A6
and Q5 for Audi from its Aurangabad
facility. Recently, Bajaj too launched its
first four-wheeler manufactured in its
facility in Aurangabad.
Elaborating
further,
Chandrashekhar Patil, Partner, Veera
Compressor, explains, “The presence
of some major auto giants has helped
SMEs bloom in Aurangabad. Although
the market has been down for some
time, we are looking forward to better
times ahead. SMEs definitely have a
bright future in this region and are
poised for growth.”
While the auto industry has made it
big in Aurangabad, pharma giants like
Wockhardt, Lupin and Glenmark have
also made their presence felt. Going
ahead, the IT industry has started
taking baby steps in Aurangabad and
the coming up of Software Technology
Parks of India (STPI) has given it a
further push.
With Aurangabad sprinting towards
additional growth opportunities and
with the region successfully bagging
major investments, it is only a matter of
time when it will attract the attention
of IT giants. Besides, with IT hubs
like Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad
already reaching saturation, software
professionals are looking for new
avenues—a factor that could draw their
attention towards Aurangabad.
Aurangabad has a lot of opportunities
and is relatively cost-effective as
compared to other developing cities.
As a result, not only professionals, but
also medium-sized companies and firstgeneration entrepreneurs who want
to try their hands in this industry are
considering investing in Aurangabad.
192 MMT - January 2013

Engineering Expo: Harbinger of
Growth
By marking its presence in promising
regions, Engineering Expo has
always believed in showcasing
a region’s potential to the right
audience. Highlighting the scope
that Engineering Expo has provided
for SMEs and MSMEs, Jeevan
Deshpande, Proprietor, Samarth
Machinery, exclaims, “Engineering
Expo has provided us a good platform.
It has become a motivation for traders
here. The variety of machines displayed
at the event depicts the might of
this place.”
Deshpande adds, “We were part
of the first edition and were happy to
find the right audience to connect with.
Thanks to the Expo, we were able
to convert these inquiries into good
business. This year, too, we expect to
make some good business.”
Today, Aurangabad has become
an emblem of an altogether different
Maharashtra—the
booming,
increasingly urbanised, economic
powerhouse. With huge industrial
presence of significant corporate
players, the city is buzzing with activity.
Commenting on the value
proposition of the Expo, Sandeep
Khosla, CEO, Network 18 Publishing,
says, “After 10 successful years of service
to the industry, Engineering Expo
today has established itself as India’s
largest multi-location trade show on
manufacturing. The Expo is a preferred
destination for small and medium
enterprises as well as manufacturing
& engineering organisations to further
their growth and that of the industry
at large. For the 2012–13 season, we
have eight editions spread across an
equal number of locations of a rising
India. Keeping our esteemed exhibitors
and valued customers in mind, we have
made elaborate provisions to offer a
never before experience. These, we
reckon, will add substantial traction to
the industrial growth of the nation.”
First-time exhibitors are also hopeful
to attract target customers. Sharing the
excitement of a first-time participant,

Kusum Soni, Proprietor, Akshay
Heaters, states, “We are participating in
Engineering Expo for the first time and
expect to interact with representatives
from various engineering-based
companies from different regions/states.
We are hopeful that the event will be
a great success with audiences from
various engineering fields participating
in the event.”

Promising Future
Aurangabad boasts of a very strong
brigade of young and enthusiastic firstgeneration entrepreneurs, who not only
bring new ideas into implementation
but also steer the region’s growth.
With the enthusiasm and optimism
about Engineering Expo Aurangabad
riding high among this new brigade of
entrepreneurs, the mega manufacturing
show is set to provide a much deserved
platform for developing business
opportunities while leveraging the
market trends.
nisi.rath@network18publishing.com

EVENT REPORT
Engineering Expo Ludhiana 2012

LUDHIANA
December 21–24, 2012
GLADA Ground

Exploring a horizon of opportunities
Generating tremendous response from the industry, Engineering Expo Ludhiana has proved
to be a game changer for the machine tools industry in the region. Leveraging the vast
potential and possibilities of the state, the Expo provided the perfect platform for accelerating
business. Held during December 21–24, 2012, the Expo witnessed a wide range of business
possibilities being unfolded. The four-day event received a robust response from the industry
at large. A report…

A

round Independence in
1947, Ludhiana had a
handful of machine tools
units and some units that
manufactured
hosiery
machines. Over time, units producing
bicycle and auto parts entered the scene.
Eventually, there came about the need
for machine tools to meet the growing
demands for mother machines in the
country. That is when entrepreneurs
established machine tools producing
units in Ludhiana. Today, Ludhiana
has evolved to become one of the
major producers of mother machinery
in India. Led by manufacturing biggies,
Ludhiana is fast emerging as a leading
investment destination in the northern
belt of our country.
Capitalising on this vast growth
potential, the Ludhiana edition of
Engineering Expo organised by Network
18 Publishing, emerged as an eye
opener. Inaugurated amid incredible
industry response, the maiden edition of
Engineering Expo Ludhiana and Punjab
Machine Tools Show (PUMTOS)
stood tall with potential on the very first
day. The Expo not only highlighted
the potential of regions like Punjab in
northern India but also made it evident
to manufacturers how they could have
easy access to this manufacturersfriendly zone. Held at GLADA Ground,
Ludhiana, during 21–24 December,
2012, the event generated commendable
194 MMT - January 2013

enthusiasm among exhibitors. Visitors
too were excited about the prospects
of a show of such a magnitude being
held in the developing industrial region
of Ludhiana.

A Grand Opening
Positioned to add positivities to the
manufacturing and machine tools
industry in and around Ludhiana, the
Expo saw business deals worth `10
crore in the first few hours of the trade
exposition and an order book outlook
looking potent with big business deals
for the exhibitors, thus benchmarking
itself with the best in class trade shows.
Gracing the occasion and boosting the
confidence of the industry, Hon’ble

Minister of State for Industries and
Commerce Shri Anil Joshi insisted,
“We need a foolproof plan to promote
the machine tools industry in Ludhiana.
The Ministry is willing to extend all
possible support to the machine tools
manufacturers to set up business.
We have the right pool of manpower
available, but we need exposure so that
our machinery is accepted not only in
India, but across the globe.”
The inaugural function was also
attended by Ludhiana Mayor Shri
Harcharan Singh Golwaria. Addressing
the audience, he said, “A cursory look at
the halls in the Expo clearly showed that
the machinery available in Ludhiana can
benchmark global quality. However, we

Boosting Industry Sentiments
While Ludhiana has seen a flurry
of enthusiastic entrepreneurs and
investments, there are areas that still
need attention. Elaborating further,
Matharoo added, “Of late, the machine
tools industry in Ludhiana is suffering
due to lack of exposure and a platform
to demonstrate its credentials. However,
with an event like the Engineering Expo,
I am confident that we will successfully
regain our lost ground.” The machine
tools fraternity unanimously accepted that
there was need for a platform, which can
help the region showcase its industrial
might. To this, Dhillon averred, “We
need to organise similar events frequently
in Ludhiana in order to bring our facilities
and service providers together and discuss
the requisite improvements for this sector
in the region.”

Highlights of this edition
250 exhibitors pan India
Spread over more than

`195 crore*
16,188 business leads
generated*
20,000+ products displayed
from different industries
More than 3,50,000 kg
machinery moved in for display
* Feedback received from exhibitors

the variety of machinery on display
and found the event to be a first-inclass arena to interact with industry
players. Amit Takkar, Director,
Takkar Industries, exclaimed, “I
visited this Expo for the first time and
I am pleased with the arrangements.
The variety of machinery on display
was commendable. An event of
this magnitude has taken place in
Ludhiana for the first time; the local
industry should take full advantage of
this opportunity.”
Another visitor, Abhishek Handa,
Business Development Manager,
Radeecal Communications, observed,
“The Expo is appealing at first sight.
Moreover, the companies exhibiting
here are big names from the industry.
I am quite satisfied with the overall
arrangements at the Expo.”
Pankaj Jain, Manager, Rexam
Bright Solutions, another visitor, also
shared similar sentiments. He stated,
“An event of this stature and scale
is taking place for the first time in
Ludhiana and I am pleased to see the
quality of machinery on display. The
choice of venue is an important factor
for such events and GLADA Grounds
is a perfect location to attract a large
number of visitors. Such events should
take place more often in Ludhiana.”

An Innovative Platform for
Business Possibilities

An Event to Reckon With

Visitors at the show were amazed by

The exhibition halls saw a large

196 MMT - January 2013

number of visitors of which many
expressed their keenness to exhibit in
the Expo next year. Also, the exhibitors
received considerable enquiries for their
machines and were highly optimistic
about generating substantial business.
Substantiating the same, CS Sidhu,
Director – Technical, GR Cranes &
Elevators, said, “We have received
large number of enquiries at this event
and expect most of these to convert
into business. We have already sold
machines to many customers.”
Another
exhibitor,
Robin
Basant, Managing Partner, Basant
Mechanicals, expressed, “The Expo
plays a crucial role not only in business
development but also in increasing
profitability. Engineering Expo is
considered to be an ideal platform for
companies to foster growth through
reach and awareness to their right
target audience. Presented by Network
18 Publishing, Engineering Expo
proves to be a perfect combination
of a vast range of exhibitors, spacious
venue, state-of-the-art amenities and
humungous visitor turnout, which is
crucial for exhibitors.”
Didarjit
Singh,
Proprietor,
Karam Chucks, who also exhibited
at the Expo, said, “Personally, my
expectations from Engineering Expo
at Ludhiana were very high and this
Expo has lived up to my expectations.
It has not only given us vast exposure,
but also given us the confidence to
launch some of our new products so
that people who are not able to attend
international shows, can find internal
quality products in India.” Matharoo
aptly concluded, “Engineering Expo
is a great platform to showcase the
industrial talent residing in smaller
towns and cities of India. A place
like Ludhiana has the skills to attract
international manufacturers to India,
and such Expos do a commendable job
in assisting this.”
The next edition of the Engineering
Expo will be held in Indore during
January 11–14, 2013.
anwesh.koley@network18publishing.com

PANEL DISCUSSION
Engineering Expo Ludhiana 2012

Is Punjab Ready To Reclaim Its
Manufacturing Might?
This is the question that got
the panelists and audiences
thinking. The electrifying panel
discussion, which was attended
by over 200 prominent industry
players, highlighted not only
the progress and prospects of
Ludhiana but also focussed
on the problems plaguing the
region’s industrial development.
Held on December 14, 2012,
the panel discussion was
aimed at finding ways to make
Ludhiana a brand beyond
hosiery and woolens.

P

eople define the place and
the prospects. Going by this
logic, Ludhiana is brimming
with prospects and a great
future. A panel discussion on
the topic ‘Is Punjab Ready To Reclaim
Its Manufacturing Might?’ was organised
by Network 18 Publishing along with
its partners United Nations Industrial
Development Organisation-International
Centre for Advancement of Manufacturing
Technology
(UNIDO-ICAMT);
Consortium of Ludhiana Machine Tools
Manufacturers (CLMTM); National
Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and
Association of Ludhiana Machine Tool
Industries (ALMTI). Held at Park Plaza
on December 14, 2012, this engaging
panel discussion was attended by over
200 top industry personalities from in and
around Ludhiana.

Issued Debated
The panel discussion brought forth the
burning issues that are creating hurdles
in the industrial progress of Ludhiana.
During the discussion, Matharoo made
198 MMT - January 2013

a very valid point when he said, “The
machine tools industry is the backbone of
the manufacturing sector and Ludhiana
must make its presence felt in this sector
globally. Till date, Ludhiana has provided
an excellent environ for doing business,
but the region has not received the
attention it deserves. We require low-cost
solutions for the machinery sector or else,
we shall lose out to the world.
Being the manufacturing guru and a
mentor to many, Shailesh Sheth impressed
that amid lacuna there is sufficient reason
to be optimistic. He insisted, “Ludhiana
has machine tools manufacturers and
the market which uses these machines.
We need to provide a platform for the
two to interact and create awareness
about various quality requirements.
The entrepreneurial skill available in
the region is well acknowledged by all;
this has enabled Ludhiana to never
run out of innovative minds. However,
entrepreneurs must give up their microcentric approach and think big; beyond
the region first and then, globally.”
Fortunately, Ludhiana and Rajkot

are key industrial clusters, which
have developed machines that are not
manufactured anywhere in the country.
To this, Swarup added, “We have the
technical expertise and the minds to
go a long way forward.” Talking about
branding—a key requirement to have
market presence—Matharoo averred,
“We have to create brand awareness
about the high-quality products we
offer. We cannot expect the world to
come to us; we have to tell them that
we have arrived. ‘Made in Ludhiana’
should now be a brand beyond hosiery
and woolens.” In his address, Dhakad
stated, “Efforts should be made by the
industries as well as the government to
develop Punjab as the hub for global
supply chain. Also, the industries need
to focus on sustainable and inclusive
growth avenues as it can define new
horizons for their further development.”
Moderated by Archana TiwariNayudu, Executive Editor, Network
18 Publishing, the panel discussion
was followed by a question &
answer session.

EVENT PREVIEW
Engineering Expo Indore 2013

INDORE
January 11–14, 2013
Labhganga Convention Center

Tapping India’s central vantage point
Staying true to its core competence as one of India’s leading auto clusters, Indore spruces
up its industrial portfolio as a spree of investments from the IT and pharmaceutical industries
come trickling in. Mirroring the growth of this centrally positioned city will be the fifth edition of
Engineering Expo Indore, organised by Network 18 Publishing. Setting the tone for acquiring
business prospects, the Expo will bring together exhibitors who will showcase their latest
products and services. Scheduled to be held during January 11–14, 2013, Engineering Expo
Indore aspires to play the role of a catalyst in the city’s fledgling growth.

O

ne of Madhya Pradesh’s
largest cities known for
its palatial splendour,
Indore, in the recent
decade, has come of
its industrial age. The city of Indore,
amid its royal structures, today voices
its determination in shaping its future
towards industrial excellence. According
to a recent study published by Cushman
& Wakefield, Indore is one of the top
10 emerging cities of India—ideal
for long-term business investments
across industries. The city’s geographic
positioning, population demographics,
development in infrastructure, current
economic growth and governmental
support contribute towards its resolute
positive outlook.

pharmaceutical and from software to
retail, the burgeoning city, on average,
receives a bulk of its trade from small-,
medium- and large-scale manufacturing
& service industries. Indore’s major
surrounding industrial belts are present
at Pithampur, Sanwer and Dewas.
The city’s automobile hub is
situated in Pithampur, which is a welldeveloped industrial area. Companies
such as Eicher Motors Ltd, Cummins
India Ltd, Mahle Engine Components
(I) Pvt Ltd, Mahindra Two Wheelers
Ltd and Bridgestone Tyre Ltd, among
others, have set up plants in this area.
Additionally, Cipla Ltd, Indorama
Synthetics (I) Ltd, Piramal Healthcare
and Glenmark, among others, are also
present in Pithampur.
Home to industries such as

Industrial Tranquility
Indore has undergone rapid transition
and vast development in almost
every sector of business. As per
published reports, in recent times,
the per capita income of the state has
doubled. According to Manoj Pugalia,
Proprietor, Oswal Rubber Industries,
“Owing to the city’s systematic and
organised planning, many companies
find it fairly convenient to set up
base here. Additionally, industries
here are not vexed by the otherwise
rampant problems of labour and
power.” Ranging from automobile to
200 MMT - January 2013

Highlights of this edition
225+ participants expected
12,000+ business
visitors expected
Business transactions worth `55
crore expected
7,000+ products on display
Spread over an area of more
than 5,500 sq m
Showcasing more than 28
diverse industry categories

Glimpses of previous edition
203+ exhibitors
9,829+ visitors
5,000+ products displayed
`45 crore business generated
4,800 sq m exhibition area
1,10,000 kg machinery moved
45+ delegations from different
companies attended the Expo
textiles, chemical processing, food
processing and distilleries, the
industrial belt includes an industrial
Special Economic Zone (SEZ) as well.
Other upcoming sprawling industrial
belts include Govindpura, Manideep
and Pologround. Elaborating further,
Kishore Bundela, Director, Protec Aqua
Solution Pvt Ltd, informs, “Formerly,
the region was famous for its auto
cluster. But now, pharmaceutical and
IT companies are also commencing
operations in Indore. One major
advantage of being situated here is that
all major Indian cities are equidistant
from Indore.”

Attracting Investor Interest
Owing to its sheer industrial potential,
Indore, in October, played host to
the Global Investors Summit 2012.
In the state’s bid to augment overall

Engineering Expo Indore 2013
development, a series of meets were
facilitated so as to attract investor
interest. With the underlined
support of better infrastructure and
strong government backing, many
international investors are gradually
entering the city.
In relation to this event, Omprakash
Gupta, President, Madhya Pradesh
Electric Merchants and Contractors
Association (MPEMCA), says, “Indore
is the business capital of Madhya
Pradesh. It can be noted that nearly
80% of Madhya Pradesh’s electrical
business is concentrated in Indore.
After the summit, the central state of
India is looking for major investments.”
“By providing a platform for
investments from major players in India
and abroad, I believe that Engineering
Expo will be the next step for this
revolution. MPEMCA would like
all major companies in electrical and
electronics to showcase their products
and technology in the Expo. With
Network 18 Publishing’s experienced
organisational skills, we are looking
forward to the integration of new styles
and services in this show,” Gupta adds.
Coined as the ‘State of
Opportunities’, Madhya Pradesh’s
investor-friendly ambience and
presence of big industries catering to
different needs is shaping a positive
future. Commenting on the same,
Rajesh Godse, Proprietor, Reliable
Terrestrials, avers, “Availability of land
& labour and a stable government are
some of the factors that are contributing
towards Indore’s success as an ideal
investment destination. Moreover,
NTPC-run Vindhyachal project in
Madhya Pradesh is expected to increase
its capacity by 2013, which will further
foster industrial development.”

In Store for 2013
Nearly 60 members along with their
parent companies will participate
in the Expo. In the MPEMCA
pavilion, products related to industrial
& domestic electricals, electronics,
industrial automation, specialised
automation products, auto industries
202 MMT - January 2013

products, panel accessories, submersible
and mono block pumps, wires & cables,
HT line material & switchgears will be
put on display, reveals Gupta.
The Expo’s rich legacy in helping
businesses connect has, so far, conveyed
the exhibition to many Indian cities.
Sharing his views on the continued
success of Engineering Expo, Sandeep
Khosla, CEO, Network 18 Publishing,
says, “After 10 successful years of service
to the industry, Engineering Expo
today has established itself as India’s
largest multi-location trade show on
manufacturing. The Expo is a preferred
destination for small and medium
enterprises as well as manufacturing
& engineering organisations to further
their growth and that of the industry
at large. For the 2012–13 season, we
have eight editions spread across an
equal number of locations of a rising
India. Keeping our esteemed exhibitors
and valued customers in mind, we
have made elaborate provisions to offer
a never before experience. These, we
reckon, will add substantial traction to
the industrial growth of the nation.”
The exhibitor’s category at the Expo
will consist of companies representing
machine tools & accessories, hydraulics
and pneumatics, light & medium
industries, electrical and electronics,
material handling equipment, etc.
Expounding further, Yogesh Mantri,
Proprietor, Automation & General
Electric Co, states, “This is the
second time that our company will be
participating in Engineering Expo.
Exhibiting here allows us to gauge
market demands and customer needs.
Moreover, it is a good internal exercise
for the industry as well. The platform,
in a way, facilitates business for
customers, as exhibitors belonging to
different segments showcase products
under one roof. For the Indore edition,
our exhibits would mainly consist of
LED lighting systems, special cables
for solar generation, CNC machine
retro fittings, adjusting cable range,
switchgear, Schneider universal
enclosure, etc.”
For many exhibitors, Engineering

Expo is an energising outlet for
gaining new customers as it is an
ideal platform that helps them grasp
market trends and innovations. Sharing
similar sentiments, Bundela states,
“The Expo’s byproducts revolve around
creating awareness, brand building
and generating a good response.”
Having participated in the previous
editions of Engineering Expo, Godse
exclaims, “We have been associated
with Engineering Expo since its first
edition in Indore. Since Network 18
Publishing announces the dates well in
advance, we have ample time to decide
our exhibiting range. Moreover, for
business, the January 2013 time frame
will be good as it does not clash with
any festivals.”
The upcoming Engineering Expo
Indore 2013 promises to leverage
its geo-strategic positioning to the
fullest by inviting an array of stakeholders
to witness industrial excellence of
all sorts.
sweta.nair@network18publishing.com

Want to win a one year subscription of MMT? All you have to do is correctly fill the two crosswords and
submit it to us by the January 21, 2013. Read the sections and fill in the squares according to the clues.
This is cannot get any easier. Winners will be announced in the next issue of MMT.

y
a
l
p
d
r
o
W 1
Win
year
subscription of

MMT
Across

Down

5 According to Michael Bremer, what do companies need to
do with their customer? (4, Management Gurus - Michael
Bremer)
6 Which exhibition started in 1975 ________ Abbreviation, 6,
IMTEX 2013)
7 EDM technology was invented in ______ (6, Cutting Edge
Technologies - EDM)
11 India’s position in terms of machine tool production
(in words, 10, Section Opener, Countries to Connect)
14 Korea’s biggest machine tool exhibition SIMTOS is held at
(5, IMTEX 2013)
15 ________ was formed in the year 1947 (Abbreviation, 5,
IMTEX 2013)
16 Of all the various applications of ceramic inserts, _______ is
the most common (7, Cutting Edge Technologies - Ceramic
Tools)
18 JIMTOF 2012 was the __________ edition (in words, 6,5,
IMTEX 2013)
19 Where is BIEC located (6, IMTEX 2013)
20 IMTEX 2011 had______ country groups (in words, 8,
IMTEX 2013)
22 Which city is IMTS is held in. (7, IMTEX 2013)

Want to win a one year subscription of MMT? All you have to do is correctly fill the two crosswords and
submit it to us by the January 21, 2013. Read the sections and fill in the squares according to the clues.
This is cannot get any easier. Winners will be announced in the next issue of MMT.

Products - Imtex 2013
This section gives information about the national
and international products available in the market

Horizontal Boring Machine
KB-150-W, efficient multifacing ‘T’ type horizontal
boring machine configuration
guarantees high rigidity of
the machine and optimum
machining efficiency. The
machine undergoes specific
reliability and precision testing,
pursuant to the demanding
SORALUCE standards. The
highly rigid structure and boring spindle design, using the latest
technologies for thermal stability, ensure long term machine
precision. The machine has been developed using the finite
elements analysis method and tested for maximum rigidity. Its
heavy duty design and high dynamics provides optimum power
and cutting speed capacity. The linear guiding system with
high loading capacity and low friction for all axis provides high
dynamics which improves machining efficiency. This machine
has high feed forces of the cross axis and quill spindle, resulting
in high stock removal capacity. Best in the segment with a rigid
quill spindle of Ø 150 mm and 800 mm traverse, 46 kW spindle
power at 3000 rpm and a maximum torque of 2320 Nm.
Danobatgroup pvt Ltd
Pune , Maharashtra
Tel: +919158900454
Fax: +912066094531
Email: nmehta@danobatgroup.com
Website: www.danobatgroup.com

CMM for 3D Measurements
This new class of
CMMs is designed
for
high-volume
measurements – the
Work stage1 CMM.
It consumes less than
20W of nominal power,
does not require any
compressed air, and is rugged for round-the-clock use and very
sturdy to run on the shop-floor. The system runs on a very accurate
cross-roller guide way work-stage, occupies less space, with

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Chipformer
Chipformer under the designation
of M3M was designed especially for
machining stainless and low carbon
steel.In addition, it was designed with
geometric features that improve the
tool’s life due to a reinforced cutting
edge at the area where VG (notch wear)
wear tends to occur when machining stainless steel, causing poor

3D Scanning System
A non-contact scanning system has
been developed on Rapid-I, Vision
Measuring systems platform, which
can scan at high density and very
high resolution (<4μm @ 67x) of intricate small and medium
sized parts. Rapid-I’s unique auto-focus technology, combined
with CNC capability and powerful software helps to quickly and
easily generate cloud points (in .dxf and .txt formats) or surface
files (.stl) that can be easily processed. With .stl files, you can

226 MMT- January 2013

Products - Imtex 2013
directly work with other CAM software to edit and generate CNC
programs for machining, completing your reverse-engineering
work-flow at very low cost. The system allows the user to choose
the density of points, and can scan complex 3D shapes and small
surface details that are usually lost in hand-held white light and
laser-based scanning systems. The systems are also offered with
Renishawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s touch probes or Scanning probes and non-contact 3D
Scanning to give a complete reverse engineering solution.
Customised Technologies Pvt Ltd.,
Bengaluru , Karnataka
Tel: 080-28522858 / 9880022400
Email:rapidi@customisedtechnologies.com
Website: www.customisedtechnologies.com

Boring Tool
Boring tools comes in different
ranges ranging from 0.4mm to
3,255mm hole diameters. The
complete range is available in analog
& digital types with 2 micron
diametrical adjustment. The size adjustment is easy and ISO
inserts can be used, the connection of tools is modular type
and the clamping is done on serrated slides to ensure strong
mounting. When the tool size increases the tool body is provided
in aluminium alloy to reduce the weight. We also provide tools
which can do roughing & finishing in a single go thus reducing
the cycle time. We also offer a range of tool holders, turn mill

Compact Hobbing Machine
Square 6
Square 6 square shoulder milling cutters incorporate trigon
inserts with six cutting edges, providing high productivity and
lowering cost per edge. Available in two different cutter family

234 MMT- January 2013

The machine features narrow-width layout which facilitates
production line configuration. (Machine width: 1,450 mm,
Depth: 2,315 mm) thus, floor space for installation is reduced by
30% (compared to our conventional model) with reduced cycle
time of small-diameter gear cutting. The machine also features

Products - Imtex 2013

cts
One must make a comparison of different produ
He
ct.
produ
any
buying
before
d
offere
es
and servic
and
must also possess industry speciďŹ c knowledge
avoid
know-how of the product before purchasing to
se.
unnecessary expen

Arun Nene
Mentor
Jyoti CNC Automation Pvt Ltd

width design, suited for production line
configuration. Moreover the machine
is equipped with 10.4-inch large LCD
screen which is highly useful easy-input
help feature with graphic user interface.
The machine also has double-swivel
operation panel installed on the right
side face, making it accessible from the conveyor side.
Mitsubishi machine tools
New Delhi
Tel: +91-11-41021234
Fax: 91-11-4102-5150
Email: mtdsales@mhiindia.com
Website: www.mhiindia.com

Lean Selection

modularised peripheral equipment which facilitates production
line configuration such as modularised peripheral equipment
and transfer machines considerably facilitate production line
configuration and layout changes with minimised setup time.
Two models available: Type I for square body; Type II for narrow-

236 MMT- January 2013

The machine offers functional and
economical grinding with cost reduction
as a matter of principle The machine is
easy to use and feature pictograms that
make programming a snap. It can produce
with CBN and diamond abrasives and
are optimized for minimal set-up times. The machine Lean
Selection has many areas of application. Among other things,
it is ideal for use by contract manufacturers, small suppliers and
medium-size companies and is perfect for the manufacture of
both single parts and series. This machine is an economical ID/

Products - Imtex 2013
OD grinding machine for demanding grinding requirements. The
Lean Selection all-round features a freely programmable B-axis,
as well as a full protective cover and it work with corundum, CBN
or diamond abrasives. It is perfect for manufacturing single parts
or small series. The machine also features Lean Selection speed
which is Efficient and economical high-speed grinding machine.
The Lean Selection speed grinds shaft-type parts, as well as
cutting tool blanks extremely cost-effectively.the machine also
has the following advantages ergonomic and user-friendly design,
precision and efficiency in one machine, Quick retooling and is
Perfect for single unit and small series production
Erwin Junker Maschienfabric GmbH
Pune, Maharashtra
Tel: 0202653996
Fax: 026053820
Email: www.junker.in
Website: www.junker.in

Products - Taiwan
Horizontal Tool Magazine
The machine comes with high speed large
tool plate with twin-arm supported with
hex-slpine shafts and is powered by high
efficient and high accuracy servo motor.
The tool locking mechanism can firmly
clamp the tool without fail during tool swap
cycle. The magazine does not adopt tool
disc but a large chain-driven plate, which is capable of absorbing
the transmission inertia completely compares to the structure
driven by gears. Simple structure, the magazine consists of large
plate, tool pots, inner rail and chain wheel plate. The unit is twopoint supported with extra two auxiliary supporting point and
4-point datum face, which is easy to operate and maintenance.
Bei Jyu Precision Machine Co. Ltd.
Taiwan
Telephone: +886-4-23501280
Fax: +886-4-23501282
Email: SY3736@hibox.hinet.net, sd67@shengyumc.com
Website: www.beijyu.com.tw

Clamping Device
TR-320 is a brand new second
generation clamping device. New
invented powerful clamping device
will strengthen the clamping ability
of tilting axis. Larger working space
can meet the requirement of big size
workpiece. Using axial/radial bearings,
they can allow heavy loads and are suitable for heavy cutting.
The run out of axial and surface flatness is decreased, and higher
accuracy is acquired.
Ganro Industrial Corporation
Taichung,Taiwan
Tel: 886-4-25376266(ext887)
Fax: 886-4-25378066
Email: info@ganro.com.tw
Website: www.ganro.com

242 MMT- January 2013

Column Tool Magazine
In the column tool magazine
the oil and hydraulic wiring
plus the hydraulic cylinder
are built into tool changing
mechanism. It looks tidier
with the fully covered metal
sheet cover. With the brand
new cushion design, the tool
changing mechanism can do
o
180 rotation. The tool pulling action can be operated smoothly.
It minimises the tool changing time and decreased the frequency
of wearing to extend the product life. It lowered down the noise
when rotating the tool disc with the changes to the design of
chain wheel driven structure. The design simplified the structure.
With the modularised oil and electric wiring system, it can be
repaired easily.
Gifu
Taichung, Taiwan.
Tel: 886-4-25334244
Fax: 886-4-25334224
Email:sales@atcgifu.com.tw
Website: http://www.atcgifu.com.tw

Circular Saw Machine
Circular sawing machine, Model: P-100B is designed to respond
to the demand for high quality and high speed cutting tasks. The

Products - Taiwan
machine can improve
production performance
as well. The circular
sawing machine comes
with the outstanding
feature of high precision
cutting and is equipped
with a servo motor and
ball screws. Production
speed control is operated
through an inverter and
electro-magnetic braking system for high precision cutting tasks.
An automatic raw material feeding system can handle a workpiece
that is as long as 6 meters. A hydraulic grabbing system allows
the machine to secure workpieces in ensuring smooth and high
quality cut surfaces. All these attributes will add value to the final
products. The machine comes with an automatic metal disposal
system which helps prevent damage from broken blades caused by
scrap metal pieces. In addition to this, the system makes it easier
for machine operators for cleaning and maintenance purposes.
The machine comes with a touch screen monitor the machine can
be easily and quickly operated.
Everising Machine Co
Taichung, Taiwan
Tel: +886 4 2350 5300
Fax: +886 4 2350 5420
Email: evrs@everising.com.tw
Website: www.everising.com

January 2013 - MMT 243

Products - Taiwan
CNC Machine Center

Milling Machines

The
machine
offers
standard
speed
of
12000RPM
with
maximum speed up to
18000RPM (optional)
tool system can be
selected: BT40, ISO40,
BBT40 CAT40 DIN40
interchangeability. The
impact of the cylinder is with one design and built-in floating
knife fight Flip device can improve bearing life. Spindle at the
top knives can be adjusted according to the different needs of
customers and online adjustment can be done directly at the
machine table. Using a modular design, rapid installation is
achieved and variety of specifications can be used interchangeably.
Front spindle maze design can effectively prevent the penetration
of chips foreign body and cutting water. The machine is
suitable for the machining of the industry mold processing and
industry parts. The machine has simplified structure, to enhance
performance and it significantly reduce production costs.

The machine is designed to
provide better solution for
the users who are mainly
focused on the heavy duty
cutting industries. The
NC double sided milling
machines are been widely
applied to plastic and steel
molds manufacturer. This
kind of milling machine has cutting capacity of 75mm x 75mm to
1000mm x 1000mm with â&#x20AC;&#x153;one set-up for four sidesâ&#x20AC;? machining.
These kinds of milling machines are especially designed for
mold base, hydraulic manifold and square or rectangular block
machining. On the other hand, the milling head unit consists
of right and left hand side milling head, both of them could be
assembled to do vertical milling, horizontal milling and transverse
milling. 90 degrees angular head to equip with the milling head
can also be provided. The milling head unit is suitable for many
types of specialized machines such as heavy duty drilling machine,
drilling machine and boring machine.

Spindle
HB-500II is
suitable
for
large size metal
workpieces,
automobile
parts
and
general parts
machining
industries.
When the machine is combined with the
APC system it will increase the productivity
and allow the best cost-performance ratio.
The spindle uses an oil-air lubrication system
and its speed improves to 14000rpm. That
satisfies the need for high speed machining.
Rapid traverse in three axes are 60 m/min
to short non-cutting time. Furthermore, the
double cooling technology in the hollow ball
screws (optional) and screw nuts (optional)
not only decreases the thermal distortion
but also increases the positioning and repeat
precision. Tool magazine improvement is
done with the use of individual tool sleeves
on the chain-type tool magazine and the
adjacent tools changing time is only 6.5
seconds. Direct drive motor and cam type
transmission device are available for B axis.
The minimum increment degree is 0.001Â°
that shortens the time of pallet rotation.
Pallets use DD-motor direct drive device
(optional). This makes the rotary speed
achieve 100rpm with a 90 degree increment
in 0.9 seconds.
Tongtai Machine & Tool Co Ltd
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Tel: +886-7-9761588
Fax: +886-7-9761589
Email: jason01@tongtai.com.tw
Website: www.tongtai.com.tw

Products
bleed valve, etc. These units are suitable for
single shot automatic oil lubrication. These
units are made to run intermittently. During
motorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ON time, all the metering cartridges
eject out predetermined amount of oil at
various points of machine. During the OFF
period, the same metering cartridges get
recharged for the next lubrication cycle. If
desired, these units can be supplied without
float and pressure switch as per customers requirement. Units for
liquid grease are also manufactured.
Lubrite Industries
Phagwara, Punjab
Tel: 1824- 228438, 329988, 09814121288
Email: info@lubriteindustries.com, lubrite75@hotmail.com
Website: www.lubriteindustries.com

Portable circular saw
Portable circular saw can effortlessly
saw at high speed through all kinds
of material such as steel, stainless
steel, aluminum and copper. It faces
no problems sawing wood and
plastic. Showers of sparks belong
almost to the collector and therefore
the surroundings remain clean.
The Blade Runners are lightweight and ergonomically designed.

January 2013 - MMT 247

Products
Besides, they are easily manageable, extremely precise and accurate
in working. All Blade Runners are equipped with a variable angle
setting. They are useful for fast and burr-free working and no
greasing or cooling is required.

way in advancements in Automatic Feature Recognition (AFR) and
Interactive Feature Recognition (IFR). Its modules are available in a
variety of bundles and combinations such as 2.5 axis, 3 axis, 4 and 5
axis prepositioning, 4 and 5 axis, simultaneous milling, 2 and 4 axis
turning, rotary milling, 2 and 4 axis wire EDM.

3D CAD Software
3D CAD software offers three
package building in functionality
and is tiered to best suit the
needs of any organisation. All
package utilise the intuitive
user interface to speed the
design process and make it
instantly productive. Machining
intelligence is the most advanced
CAM programming software
available for getting products to
market faster, more efficiently
and within budget. It is a next generation best-of-class CNC
programming solution for producing moulded parts from solid
models. It is a Certified Gold Product for manufacturing/CAM
software that provides state-of-the-art machining capabilities
seamlessly integrated into SolidWorks design software. It leads the

248 MMT- January 2013

Honing Machines
The numeric controlled E â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Series
honing machines are developed to
deliver complete honing solution
for the production of small to
medium batch sizes and prototypes.
The Siemens Touch-Pad numeric
controls provides precise, efficient,
repeatable honing on through and
blind bores for a wide range of
components like Rocker arm, Conrod, Fork shifter, fuel injection parts,
aerospace components and dies. The
machine also features compactness with stability, assured by rigid
module plate design, providing repeatability of stroke and size,
for accurate bore geometry across a broad range of applications.

Hydraulic Press Brake Machine
Hydraulic press brakes
are highly productive,
accurate and economical.
They provide simplified
and easily accessible
controls for optimum
operator efficiency and
output. The press brakes
are manufactured to high
standards of lifetime
durability and precision accuracy. Pair of hydraulic cylinders is
synchronised mechanically by a heavy-duty torque tube construction.
This facility ensures absolute parallelism between ram and table
working surface. NC hydraulic press brakes are economical and very
reliable solution for industry demand.They are designed to give

250 MMT- January 2013

Products
more accuracy and better productivity. The controller has a facility
to program the various jobs with complex bending sequence on
screen. The numeric control is used for two axis control: ram axis
Y, back gauge axis X. The program gives facility to bend different
bending degrees; different back gauge positions and different open
positions. Range is 20 ton to 700 ton and length is 1250 mm to
7000 mm.
Energy Mission Machineries (India) Pvt Ltd
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Tel: 079-65436237, 09824481470
Email: info@energymission.com , energymission@gmail.com
Website: www.energymission.com

Lathe Machine
Heavy-duty, medium-duty and
light-duty lathe machines are
available. They offer heavyduty lathes sizes 5’6’’, 7’, 9’, 10’
and 12’, light-duty lathes size in
4’6’’ and 5’3’’ and medium-duty
lathes in 4’6’’ and 6’. Heavyduty lathes are split type, hand
scrapped precisely graded bush bearing for running main spindle
with flat belt driven cone pulley and tapered roller bearing at both
ends of main spindle with double V-belts driven conepully. Options
are open for customers. They offer heavyduty lathes having std
10’’ height of centre and 2’’ spindle hole as well as 12’’ HOC and

January 2013 - MMT 251

Products
is of 9’’, hole through spindle of 2’’, and tailstock of 2’’. Customer
specifications are also serviced.
M/s Sunil Enterprise
Rajkot, Gujarat
Tel: 0281- 2926239, 09825636244
Email: microlathes@rediffmail.com
cal
The purchase manager should consider the techni
rt
speciﬁcations of the product and after sales suppo
ct.
produ
the
buying
before
ny
compa
the
by
extended
must
Considering it as an investment, the consumer
pay attention to ﬁner details so as to secure ROI.

Vertical Machining Center
The 3-axis machining center from Pittler
represents an economically attractive version
for small and medium size production
shops. Parts with diameters up to 800 mm
can be processed on a set-up area of only 6
m². The benefits of this product are high
quality parts at low per-part costs, excellent
accessibility to the parts and tools, quick
programming and short conversion times. Large door openings
and a short control distance allow work pieces and tools to be
changed quickly. The Siemens 828 D control offers simple and
rapid programming in work steps.
Pittler T & S GmbH

3’’ spindle hole charging extra. In light-duty and medium-duty
tapered roller bearing is used for running main spindle with V-belt
driven cone-pulley. Graded cast iron for all sliding or running parts
are used. In light-duty lathe height of centre is 7’’ and hole through
of 11/2’’, cross slide of 6’’ wide, in medium-duty height of centre

Products
Precision Punch Former
Precision punch former machine PFAH
50000 is a dual way waterproof punch
former with a compact strong structure and
lasting durability. This model is suitable for
applying on surface grinding and applying
to accurately and rapidly from any shapes
of punches. Also the machine can be applied to EDM machines.
Moreover the machine also has vertical and horizontal adjustment
function, it is especially suitable for oval punch grinding. The Vblock design can enhance the stability and accuracy for setting
the work piece and also with fine tuning function. The machine
is made up of stainless steel, rustles and easy to maintain.
Gin Chan Machinery Co., Ltd
Taipei, Taiwan
Tel: 886-2-2681-8596
Fax: 886-2-2681-8516
Website: www.ginchan.com.tw
Email: sales@ginchan.com.tw

Carbide Endmills
Solid carbide long length end mills are used for
machining parts that require long reach. They
are available square nose or Ball nose and two,
four, six, eight or more flute form. Carbide end
mills are used on materials such as cast iron,
non ferrous metals and for difficult to machine

254 MMT- January 2013

materials. The rigid solid carbide end mills with rugged geometry
are usable at high cutting speeds several times greater than high
speed steel. These end mills are most suitable for deep slotting
work. These tools allow maximum chip clearance at higher speeds
compared to high speed steel end mills. The tool is also usable for
deep plunging work. Solid carbide end mills are available in size
up to cutting edge 300 mm flute length 100 mm with Coolant
holes and without Coolant holes.
Cutting Tools Company.
Pune Maharashtra
Tel: 020 46761015
Fax: 020 46761014
Email: biltz@vsnl.net
Website: www.biltzindia.com

Diaphragm Vacuum Pumps
Chemical Resistant Diaphragm
pump are the best suited oil free
vacuum option for Laboratory &
Pilot scaled application. Typical
applications for Chemical Resistant
diaphragm pumps include evacuating
chemically aggressive gases and
vapors from such equipment as rotary
evaporators, vacuum drying cabinets
and centrifugal concentrators.
Most importantly, diaphragm pumps are oil-free, for vastly
reduced service demands compared with oil-sealed pumps.
They eliminate the water waste of water-jet aspirators, and the
contaminated waste-oil disposal of rotary vane pumps. The
diaphragms are available in various options of materials like
EPDM, neoprene, Viton & Teflon coated neoprene rubber.
These vacuum pumps are available in the range of 15 lpm to
33 lpm generate a maximum vacuum of 30Torr. Chemical
resistant vacuum pumps are supplied with 3phase flame-proof
motors also.

Variable Speed Drives
Variable speed drives comes in a wide, rugged
range of AC up to 400 Kw ratings. These are
available as simple v/f drives and also sensor
less and flux vector drives. The new latest
WJ200 drive has many class leading features
such as 200% starting torque. It has special
algorithms to improve low speed regulation.
It can be used for simple positioning applications with encoder
feedback without the use of any add-on card. It can be controlled
with a pulse train input also. It incorporates a built in USB port
for programming. The same drive can be used for both induction
motors as well as brushless motors. All the drives are compliant
with International ratings such as CE, UL, and C-UL etc.
Strategi Automation Solutions Pvt Ltd
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Tel: +91-80-32329798 / 32467879
Fax: +91-80-41163047
Email: sales@strategiautomation.com
Website: www.strategiautomation.com

Thread Cutting Unit
The GEM12 is the second generation
thread cutting unit. It is a sleeve-drive
thread-cutting unit with an all new control
concept. This unit from the Suhner sleeve
drive machining unit series is designed

Products
Non-Reversible Tapping Heads
The model QCSFL non-reversible
tapping heads are specially developed
for radial drilling machine and reversible
drilling and tapping machines. These are
also suitable for large boring machines.
The chucks have an extensive tapping
range from M3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;M42 comprising of 4
sizes. Very easy in operation, these heads
are versatile in their usage. Equipped
with radial parallel float, quick set torque
mechanism, compression + expansion
enable the operator to maximise productive
without breakage of tap. Thread profile precision is as guaranteed
on these chucks. The tapping heads are appropriate for LH and
RH threads.
Indmech Industrial Corporation
Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Tel: 02764-233983, Mob: 09825146659
Email: sms@imitoolsindia.com
Website: www.imitoolsindia.com

Injection Molding Machine
The Niigata all-electric
horizontal
injection
molding machine ranges
from 50 to 1000 ton and
the vertical injection
molding machine ranges
from 30 to 150 ton. Shot
size (PS) ranges from 20
to 4550 gm. It saves more
than 60 per cent power consumption than similar size hydraulic/
toggle machine. The machine is absolutely free from oil,therefore
it does not create pollution. It ensures enhanced accuracy and
reliability, and also provides great cost savings and contributes to
environmental preservation.
Neejtech India
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Tel: 079-26561312
Mob: 09825040231
Email: info@neejtech.com
Website: www.neejtech.com

Cutting Fluid
The cutting fluid is suitable
for use in the simplest to the
most demanding of cutting
operations of complex alloys.
Surface blackening of white
metals, especially aluminium
during metal working process
may occur because of the
metal working fluid used. The metal components of certain alloys
of aluminium that contain zinc, copper and magnesium in varying

284 MMT- January 2013

Products
percentages tend to react with ingredients of the metal working
fluid like amino complexes but also other additives that are
usually present. The cutting fluid minimises this issue.
Carl Bechem Lubricants (India) Pvt Ltd
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Tel: +91-080-22010800,+91-080-22010802
Mob: 09379917484
Email: info@bechemindia.com
Website: www.carlbechem.com

Diamond Disc
Diamond discs use a process
by which diamond abrasives
are chemically fused on top of
a metal base. The construction
provides highly exposed, ready
to cut diamond edges at the
contact surface to either grind
or hack. With reduced friction
at the cutting edge and a well
balanced construction, the power tool mounted breaks down very
less and completes the work much faster. It can be fitted on any
brand of portable grinder. It is available in 100 mm (4”) diameter
with 20 mm bore, 115 mm (4 ½”) and 125 mm (5”) with 22.3 mm
bore. The same discs can be used both for grinding and hacking
applications.
Wendt (India) Ltd
Hosur, Tamil Nadu
Tel: 04344 - 276851, 276852
Fax: 04344- 405620
Email: deepaks@wendtindia.com
Website: www.wendtindia.com

Bench grinder
Bench grinder with built in dust
collector is specially designed for
collecting dust generated during the
grinding process. It is mounted on a
rigid steel frame and has high filtering
efficiency, enabling it to grasp even the
finest dust particles. It has features like
low power consumption and low noise
level. Cotton filtering sleeves provide
total security against inflammation.
It has a 1.0 HP, 3 phase 2800 RPM
grinding motor, 3 phase dust collector motor and is fitted with
a manual shaker. The machine has dimensions of 775 x 800 x
1050 mm..
Prem Brothers
New Delhi
Tel: 011-28117456, 28117464, 45595068
Email: powermaster59@gmail.com
Website: www.powermaster-india.com

286 MMT- January 2013

Products
Power operated hydraulic press
Power operated hydraulic press ranges
from 15 tonnes to 300 tonnes capacity
in mild steel robust construction. The
crown, column and bottom are solid
without bend and are welded. The
table is vertically operated by worm
winch gearbox and rests on load pins
placed in holes and column at desired
height. An option to operate bed by
bed lifting attachment electrically is
provided. Rollers are also provided
with the bed for easy handling of
heavy jobs. The cylinder is made from honed tube and hard
chrome plated ram is made from mild steel, operated by double
acting cylinder. Good quality seals assure long working life. The
ram is provided with replaceable socket to facilitate attachment of
dies and tools on customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request. The press is equipped with
high pressure hydraulic pump, D.C. valve, pressure relief valve etc.
Pressure can be regulated by pressure control valve. The press is
operated by hand lever operated direction control valve, with an
option of panel board/push button operated and foot operated.
Dowel Engineering Works
Rajkot, Gujarat
Tel: 0281-2362465, 2369153
Email: dowel@thedowel.com
Website: www.thedowel.com

Multi-Spindle Heads
These multi-spindle heads are used for
drilling and tapping applications. The
heads are available in both adjustable
and fixed type centre distances. These
can be fitted on all types of machines,
like conventional drilling and tapping
machines, machining centers or any other
type of automatic drilling and tapping
machines. Features include: equipped
to deliver precisely what users need,
smallest centre distances, high-spindle accuracies, customised
multi-spindle heads as per requirements, compact, rigid and sturdy
design, special multi-spindle heads for carbide tools, throughcoolant operations can be done, optimise production cost.
Suhner India Pvt Ltd
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Tel: 080-27831108
Email: blroffice.in@suhner.com
Website: www.suhner.com

Products
Milling and Drilling Machine
Coordinate Advance
Milling and Drilling
Machine (CAMDER)
has been patented
as a new application
machine in China.
It is most suitable
for
automobile
mould and complex
machine component.
CAMDER is using an
advance 6-axis CNC
control with milling and deep hole drilling function in one
machine. Specially design for large automobile mould and
machine component. 5-axis Coordinate Advance Milling &
Drilling Machine is based on horizontal deep hole drilling
machine with CNC rotary table and spindle tilting function
design concept. With the advance design, it can interchange from
a Milling function to a Drilling function in a very short time. X,
Y, Z, & W axis are all using a high precision linear guide and ball
screw, with high rigidity and accuracy. The maximum loading
capacity is 30ton, with dual servo motor to eliminate the backlash.
Furthermore, each rotary axis equipped with round linear scale to
ensure the accuracy of the angle. The spindle power is 22kw, can
be use in gun drilling and more a efficient ejector drilling system.
Maximum spindle speed is 4000rpm. X, Y, Z maximum cutting
speed is 8m/min with AICCII function for complex machining.

‘C’ frame presses are fabricated out of
mild steel plate generously designed to
withstand heavy working conditions with
minimum stretching and deflection. The
fabricated members of the press are stress
relieved. Two plates are bound together
with welded support and tie rods. Precise
machining of the structural members is
done after normalizing to get the required
accuracy like parallelism between platen and bed, right angularity
between bed and the moving platen. It’s highly applicable for
high production of small jobs. Special presses are also available
with high ram speeds.

Eight Spindle Automatic Lathe
The machine is designed for high
accuracy at mass and series production.
It offers high thermal stability and
its rigidity can be compared to camoperated machines. The machine has 8
independent AC drives of spindle and
altogether 32 CNC controlled axes. The machine also features 24
additional CNC controlled axes for optional equipment control
with two SINUMERIC 840 D control system. It uses own
technological TMis software and has large selection and flexibility
of quick change tool holder. Machine has got hydraulically or
pneumatically controlled auxiliary functions. It conforms to the
89/392 EEC directives.

The welding machines are strictly manufactured & are confirming
to IS, incorporating latest technological developments and
controls with highest order of quality & performance. The
machine also has modern looks, novel design concepts, Light
weight and compact. Real Portability for one person to do welding
at odd places like civial work sites etc. Sturdy belt provided for

Products
carrying and hanging. It is made
from high-grade materials, with
protection against overload by
thermal cut-out. Works even on
domestic power line, Reliable and
durable, Epoxy powder coated body
for long life, Coil varnishing by
vacuum pressurised impregnating
varnishing system.
Canary electricals ltd.

“C” Type Foot Operated Hydraulic Press
The machine features two ‘C’ type
production presses mounted on a table
for assembly unit and operated by one
power pack unit. The machine also
has Separate foot switches for upward
and down ward movement of ram
with separate pressure regulating valve.
Variable length of stroke is available
and the presses ranging from 15 tonnes
to 25 tonnes capacity. The rigid and sturdy welded steel frame is
without bend. The cylinder is made from honed tube and hard

January 2013 - MMT 295

Products
chrome plated ram is made from mild steel, operated by single
acting cylinder. Good quality seals assure long working life. The
Ram is provided with replaceable socket to facilitate attachment
of dies and tools on customer’s request.
Dowel Engineering Works
Rajkot Gujarat
Tel:281-2369153
Fax: 281-2362465
Website: www.thedowel.com

Plastic Packing Boxes For Cutting Tools
The boxes are used made to be
used for industrial packaging. It
can be use full for packing the
carbide tools, end mills, reamers,
tips, insert, tap set, tool holder
etc. Foam, stickers, screen printing,
embosses & design the logo of
company on the boxes can also be
provided.
Om manufacturers
Rajkot Gujarat
Tel: 0281-2384444, 09978500100
Email: - ommanufacturers@gmail.com ; info@ommanufacturers.com
Website: www.ommanufacturers.com

Power Press
‘bNX Series’ power press is designed for blanking, forming
piercing and drawing applications. This press offers the ultimate
possible resistance to slide tipping and off centre loading.
The guides are designed with extra length and surface area to
provide best possible resistance to slide tipping caused by off
centre loading in the die and most suitable for highly precise

Products
pressing applications. This increases tool life.
The company also manufactures: ring frame
cross shaft presses; link motion presses; H
frame, single and two point cross shaft presses;
H frame, two point left to right presses; and
high speed presses.
Swastik Engitech Pvt. Ltd,
Gujarat
Tel: 8141044144
Email; info@bansalpresses.com ; prashant@bansalpresses.com
Website: www.bansalpresses.com

Press-Brake
The machine is design as such to
reach speed and power levels similar
to those of a hydraulic press-brake
yet also deliver the accuracy and
reactivity of an electric press-brake
while maintaining the consumption
of a hybrid system the structure is
unique of its kind in that both the top and the bottom of the press
are completely closed. This makes it extremely stable and keeps
the positions of the references constant throughout the entire
bending phase, generating a remarkably high degree of precision.
The absence of proportional valves, the presence of direct-drive
transmission and brushless motorization, and the utilization of

January 2013 - MMT 299

Products
energy in proportion to the real intensity of use, mean that the
B3 press-brake offers extremely high performance yet keeps
consumption low. The approach and return movements of the
top-beam can reach a speed of 220 mm/s. PressStudio is the
press-brake programming software, based on a native 3D model,
which is used for graphical and numerical programming and for
production management.

Hydraulic Angle Lock Vise
The machine offers down thrust
with â&#x20AC;&#x153;semi-sphereâ&#x20AC;? to prevent
workpiece lift. The machine can
be operated either mechanically or
hydraulically and its body is made
up of ductile iron FCD-60. Vise
bed is hardened to HRC45 and
maintains accuracy for long. Vise
bed height-size and the guide block
side are all made with full control and are capable to perform a job
of 2, 3 or 4 vises at a time. The machine has 4 ways of clamping
as a choice.

300 MMT- January 2013

Sheet metal working tools
are developed for continuous
use in metal construction and
have a robust and ergonomic
design. A high-power motor
and an optimally coordinated
transmission ensures rapid
and constant work progress.
The power tools are also
particularly durable because
of a metal transmission head.
Unlike the shell design, the
barrel-type motor housing
design ensures that the bearing remains permanent and secure in
its place. The motor therefore runs more quietly and the bearing
is subject to considerably less wear. The sheet metal working tools
range comprises of the following tools; nibblers, slitting shears and
sheet metal shears for cutting and separating single rolled sheets,
corrugated sheet metals, trapezoid sheet metals, pipes and profiles.
The range of power tools has the right tool for various metal

Filter Press
The
polypropylene
executor
ser ies
filter press is ideal
for
p ro v i d i n g
filtration
capacities
in the range of 5 to
50
KLD
of
sludge per day. It is used for separating suspended
solids from the liquids. In the plate and frame type,
the plates, the frames and the plate accessories of the
filter press are placed on two horizontal parallel bars and
are pressed together in between two end plates (i.e. fixed
and moving ends) by a closing device. The material to be
filtered is then pumped into the press which goes to all
the frames where the filter media stops the suspended solids and
allows only the clear liquid to go through the discharge ports
leaving the solids in the frame. In the recessed type, the slurry
is fed through the central inlet and the solids are retained in the
recess between the plates, while the filtrate is collected through
the corners.

The
cordless
driver
drill
has
application
areas
in
the
field
of
construction,
wood
working,
metal
working
and other engineering segments. It has a
soft wood capacity of 18 mm, wood screw
capacity of 6 mm diameter x 38 mm
and machine screw capacity of 6 mm. It has a compact
design at 147 mm long and weighs 0.8 kg. It has a drive of 6.35
mm hex bit shank with a maximum torque in lock of 10 Nm. The
battery capacity of 1.5 Ah provides longer run time. The load
speed of 0-400 RPM covers a wide range of drilling
applications. Standard accessories such as the battery (BCL1015),
charger (UC10SFL), driver bit and a carrying case are also available.

Flap disc can be used for
quick grinding due to
consistent high abrasive
quality right up to the last
abrasive grain. Maximum
economic efficiency due to
increased performance per
time unit and less wear on
discs is attained. Grinding
work with high stock removal
performance is achieved. It
features largest possible stock removal. The innovative design
of the ceramic grit abrasive reduces sparks to a minimum. This
means that damage to stainless steel work pieces caused by glowing
sparks flying around is almost excluded. The surface temperature
is reduced by 30 % during the grinding process which makes sure
that there is no heat accumulation, no deformation, no thermal
damage to the joints in the work piece. Tool life and aggressiveness
for surface grinding and for the leveling of welds are 50 % higher
than those of conventional flap discs. Besides, there is no glazing
and constant use right down to the last grit.

Products
Drilling Cum Milling Machine
The drilling cum milling machines are
used for drilling, milling, tapping, lapping
and counter boring. The drilling capacity
of these machines is 40 mm, with face
mill capacity of 25 mm, tapping capacity
of 22 mm in cast iron and drilling capacity
of 35 mm in mild steel. Quill spacers are
made from steel while main spindle are
made EN Steel with 6 slots. Spindle
nose is MT-4, spindle travel is 170 mm,
spindle speed of 8 gears made from best
quality material and helical teethed for
smooth and noiseless running. These can
be applied for better and accurate square
and parallel cutting.
Siddhapura Industires
Bhavnagar, Gujarat
Tel: 0278-2445148, 09824246655
Email: bipin@siddhapuradrills.com
Website: www.siddhapuradrills.com

Tapping Chuck
The QCSL non-reversible tapping chuck is specially developed for
builders of heavy machinery, turbines, motors, nuclear reactors and
other types of heavy equipment. Capacity of the tapping chuck

January 2013 - MMT 307

Products
ranges from M30 to M200. This chuck is available
in morse taper, ISO taper or in special shanks. The
tapping chuck is suitable for heavy jobs and for
tapping on higher diameter. It is provided with length
compensation features that allow the tap to act as its
own lead screw.
IMI Machine Tools Pvt Ltd
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Tel: 02764-233983
Email: imi@imitoolsindia.com
Website: www.imitoolsindia.com